Relationship between STING gene expression and HBV DNA load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with chronic hepatitis B / 中国感染控制杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To detect mRNA expression of stimulator of interferon genes(STING)and type Ⅰ interferons(IFN-α and IFN-β)in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)of patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB), and evaluate its correlation with hepatitis B virus load.Methods 88 untreated CHB patients(CHB group)and 74 healthy persons(control group)who performed physical examination were chosen from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University during the same period between February 2016 and February 2017.Expressions of mRNA of STING, IFN-α, and IFN-βwere detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(PCR), their relative expression values were obtained by 2-ΔΔCT method, results were statistically analyzed.Results The expression of STING, IFN-α, and IFN-βmRNA in peripheral blood of CHB patients were 2.95, 3.14, and2.01folds of healthy controls respectively, differences were statistically significant(t=-4.72, -3.41, -2.31, respectively, all P＜0.05).STING relative expression in patients with HBV DNA load≤104 IU/mL was 2.98, 3.76, and 3.97 folds of patients with HBV DNA load 104-105 IU/mL, 105-106 IU/mL, and＞106 IU/mL, respectively(P＜0.05).mRNA expressions of STING in CHB patients were positively correlated with that of IFN-αand IFN-βmRNA (r=0.475, 0.503, respectively, both P＜0.05).Conclusion The expression of STING increased in patients with CHB, high expression of STING impacted the replication of HBV.