apyrase and Hepatitis-B--Chronic

Chronic HBV infection presents weak or no virus-specific T-cell responses, implying to an exhausted phenotype, characterized by overexpression of several inhibitory receptors. In the present study, it was aimed to characterize the panel of inhibitory molecules on the CD8. In this study, 31 active and 32 inactive individuals with chronic HBV infection were recruited. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and a multicolor flow cytometry was applied to evaluate the surface inhibitory molecules of TIM3, PD-1, and CD39.. CD8. It appears that CD8

Topics: Adult; Apyrase; Biomarkers; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Female; Flow Cytometry; Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B, Chronic; Humans; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Male; Middle Aged; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor; Viral Load

Although it is known that regulatory T cells (Tregs) can suppress the function of effector T cells, and may contribute to impaired immune response, the precise role of Tregs during the course of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains to be elucidated. A newly identified subset of the CD4+Foxp3+ Tregs, the CD39+ Tregs, has been associated with viral infections and autoimmune diseases. Therefore, we hypothesized that this discrete Treg subset may contribute to the chronic infection of HBV.. Initial characterization studies of healthy peripheral CD39+FoxP3+CD4+ T cells revealed that the majority were CD45RA- Treg cells. Subsequent analysis of HBV-infected patients (38 asymptomatic HBV carriers (AsCs), 37 chronic active hepatitis B (CAH), 29 HBV-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF)) and healthy individuals (25 controls) was conducted to assess association with HBV copy number and the liver injury marker alanine aminotransferase (ALT). A higher percentage of CD39+ Tregs was detected within the population of FoxP3+CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood of AsCs patients. Moreover, the percentage of CD39+ Tregs was significantly less in CAH and ACLF patients. The increased proportions of circulating CD39+ Tregs were positively correlated with serum viral load, but inversely correlated with serum ALT level.. These findings not only suggest that CD39+ Treg cells may be involved in HBV disease progression but also identify CD39+ Tregs as a dynamic immune regulatory cell population that may represent a new target of immunomodulatory therapeutic interventions.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antigens, CD; Apyrase; Asymptomatic Diseases; CD4 Antigens; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Disease Progression; Female; Forkhead Transcription Factors; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B, Chronic; Humans; Liver Failure, Acute; Male; Middle Aged; T-Lymphocyte Subsets; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory; Viral Load; Young Adult