Significance of Cellular Immunity to Hepatitis B Virus Replication and Antiviral Therapy

Objective To analyze the relationship of hepatitis B virus(HBV) replication,Prognosis,Variation to peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets.Methods The peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subsets of 37 patients with chronic hepatitis B,20 HBV carriers,36 with Hepatitis B cirrhosis and 24 normal human were detected by flow cytometry.HBV-DNA level and Lamivudine-related mutation detected by real-time quantitative PCR in patients with HBV.Results(1)Compared with normal controls,the number and percentage of CD+3 T cells,CD+4 T cells in HBV carriers and patients with chronic hepatitis B decreased(P0.05),CD+8 T cells of carriers lower than that of control(P0.05),the 2 groups were not significantly different from control in CD+8 T cell percentage and CD+4/CD+8 ratio(P0.05).But CD+4/CD+8 ratio was significantly higher,the other indexes lower than in control group(P0.05).(2)HBV-DNA level was not correlated with peripheral CD+3,CD+4,CD+8 T cells and CD+4/CD+8 ratio in HVB infected persons(P0.05).(3) The levels of CD+3T cells,CD+4T cells and CD+8T cells were significantly higher,CD+4/CD+8 ratio lower in improved group receiving 6-month antiviral treatment than in unimproved group receiving 12-month antiviral therapy(P0.05).(4)There was not significant difference in levels of CD+3T cells,CD+4T cells,CD+8T cells and CD+4/CD+8 ratio between HBV patients with Lamivudine-related mutation and wild-type(P0.05).Conclusion T lymphocyte subset imbalance and cellular immune dysfunction,existing in chronic HBV patients,may be an important cause for persistent HBV infection.Detection of T cell subsets can be used as a predictor of antivirus effects and disease outcome.The percentage of T cell subsets can reflect patients′ immune status.