Sequential analyses of circulating HBV specific T helper cell response in chronic hepatitis B patients receiving antiviral treatment / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>To investigate the frequency of circulating HBV specific T helper cell and evaluate its association with serum levels of HBV DNA before and during lamivudine treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The frequency of circulating HBV specific T helper cells in response to HBcAg in 25 chronic HBV-infected patients was determined by Elispot assay; serum HBV DNA was quantitated by real-time PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The frequency of HBV specific T helper cell before antiviral treatment (47.30 +/- 25.50 SFCs /1 x 10(6) PBMC) was significantly higher than that at the third month of therapy (23.10 +/- 18.45 SFCs /1 x 10(6) PBMC, P < 0.05). All 8 patients observed dynamically had decreased frequency of HBV specific T helper cell at the third month of therapy; six patients with serum HBV DNA level reduced had higher frequency of HBV specific T helper cell before treatment than 2 patients without serum HBV DNA level decrease.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HBV specific T helper cell response at the time of hepatitis flare in chronic hepatitis B patients was significantly augmented compared to that at the time of catabasis.</p>