The difference and significance of peripheral blood regulatory T cells in patients with symptomatic chronic hepatitis B,asymptomatic HBV carriers and acute self-limiting HBV infection

Objective To investigate the difference of the proportion of peripheral blood regulatory T cells(T_(reg))in patients with symptomatic chronic hepatitis B,asymptomatic HBV carriers,acute serf-limiting HBV infection and healthy controls,and to analyze the relationship between different clinical outcomes after HBV infec- tion and regulatory T cells,and to offer a new due to the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.Methods Flow cytom- etry was used to detect the proportion of peripheral blood T_(reg)in 28 patients with symptomatic chronic hepatitis B, 23 asymptomatic HBV carriers,19 acute self-limiting HBV infection and 14 blood donors as healthy controls. Results The proportion of peripheral blood T_(reg)in patients with symptomatic chronic hepatitis B was 7.2%±3.1%,which was significantly higher than that in asymptomatic HBV carriers,acute self-limiting HBV infection and healthy controls.No significant difference in the proportion of peripheral blood T_(reg)was found among asymp- tomatic HBV carriers,acute self-limiting HBV infection and healthy controls.Conclusion T_(reg)may play a role in the development of chronic HBV infection.