Relationship between viral load and expression of CD226 on the surface of T follicular helper cells in patients with chronic hepatitis C / 中华传染病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the relationship between viral load and expression of CD 226 on the surface of peripheral blood T follicular helper cells (Tfh) in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) . Methods One hundred and thirty-five CHC patients hospitalized at Wuxi Fifth People′s Hospital from March 2015 to April 2017 were collected ,and another 30 healthy blood donors were set as healthy control group .CHC patients were divided into two groups based on hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA level ,with 49 cases (36 .3％ ) in low viral load group and 86 cases (63 .7％ ) in high viral load group .Expression of CD226 on the surface of peripheral blood Tfh cells , Tfh cells ,interleukin (IL )-21 and HCV specific cytotoxic lymphocyte (CTL) levels of two patient groups were compared .Categorical data were compared with chi-square test and normally distribute continuous data were compared with t test .Correlations between different factors were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis .Results Expression of CD226 on the surface of peripheral blood Tfh cells in 135 cases of CHC patients was (77 .69 ± 5 .42)％ ,which was lower than that of healthy control ([90 .06 ± 5 .83]％ ) ,and the difference between the two groups was significant (t= 7 .541 , P < 0 .01) .The CD226 expression on the peripheral blood Tfh cells in low viral load group was (88 .75 ± 6 .68)％ ,which was higher than that of high viral load group ([69 .23 ± 5 .86]％ ) ,and the difference between the two groups was significant (t = 19 .232 , P< 0 .01) .The viral load was negatively correlated with Tfh cell surface CD 226 expression (r = - 0 .705 , P < 0 .01) .The peripheral blood Tfh cell level in 135 CHC patients was higher than that of healthy control ,and the difference between the two groups was significant (t= 13 .878 , P< 0 .01) .The peripheral blood Tfh cell level in low viral load group was higher than that in high viral load group ,and the difference between the two groups was significant (t= 26 .993 , P< 0 .01) .The IL-21 level of 135 CHC patients was lower than that of healthy control ([70 .35 ± 1 .6]％ ) ,and the difference between the two groups was significant (t=18 .322 , P< 0 .01) .The IL-21 level in peripheral blood of low viral load group was higher than that of high viral load group ,and the difference between the two groups was significant (t= 84 .54 , P< 0 .01) . HCV specific CTL level in peripheral blood of low viral load group was higher than that of high viral load group ,and the difference between the two groups was significant (t = 29 .869 , P< 0 .01) .The viral load was negatively correlated with levels of HCV specific CTL (r= -0 .734 ,P< 0 .01) .Conclusions In patients with chronic hepatitis C ,different levels of viral load can result in different levels of CD 226 expression on the peripheral blood Tfh cells .Patients with low viral load has high CD226 expression on Tfh cell surface , resulting in rise of Tfh cell level ,IL-21 level and HCV specific CTL level .