Characteristics of peripheral circulating lymphocyte subsets and their clinical implication in severe hapatitis patients with chronic HBV infection / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of peripheral circulating lymphocyte subsets in severe hepatitis patients with chronic HBV infection (SHPCHI). Methods: The numbers of circulating lymphocyte subsets, including CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+, NK cells (CD3- /CD16+ /CD56+), and NKT cells (CD3+ /CD16+ CD56+), were determined in SHPCHI (n=61),patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB, n=21), patients with cirrhosis (LC, n=26) and healthy volunteers (n=10) by flow cytometry. The absolute values of each lymphocyte subset were calculated and statistically analyzed. Results: The absolute numbers of circulating CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were significantly reduced in SHPCHI group compared with those in the other 3 groups (P<0.01 or P<0.05). There was a decreasing trend in the absolute numbers of peripheral CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and NK cells in non-surviving SHPCHI compared with surviving SHPCHI,but the decrease was not statistically significant. Conclusion: SHPCHI has an disorderd cellular immune function, which might be related to the prognosis of SHPCHI.