Study on CD4~+CD25~+ regulatory T cells and CD4~+,CD8~+ T lymphocyte subgroup in peripheral blood of patients with chronic hepatitis B

Objective:To investigate the quantification of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells and distribution of CD4+CD8+ T lymphocyte subgroup in peripheral blood of patients in chronic hepatitis B(CHB),and to reveal relationship between CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells,CD4+CD8+ T lymphocyte subgroup and HBV infetion as well.Methods:CD4+CD25high,CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Treg and CD3+CD4+CD8+T lymphocyte subgroup in peripheral blood from 50 patients with CHB and 20 healthy controls was analyzed using flow cytometry.HBV DNA was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR.Results:The number of CD4+CD25highTregs in patients with CHB was obviously higher than that in healthy controls(P0.01)and increased with copies of HBV DNA.The same with the change of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Tregs in patients with CHB and there was a positive correlation between CD4+CD25highTregs and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Tregs(r=0.890,P0.001).Compared with healthy controls,the frequency of CD4+T cells and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ in patients with CHB was declined,but there was no significant difference in the frequency of CD3+T cells and CD8+T cells between them(P0.05).The variation in the number of CD4+CD25highTregs was correlated positively with the copies of HBV DNA(r=0.782,P0.001)and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase(ALT)(r=0.432,P0.005)separately,but negatively with the frequency of CD3+,CD4+,CD8+T cells and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+(P0.05).The variation in the frequency of CD3+,CD4+,CD8+T cells and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ was also correlated negatively with the copies of HBV DNA(P0.05).Conclusion:The number of CD4+CD25highTregs increases in patients with CHB and is in accordance with the copies of HBV DNA and increased level of ALT.Further studies should be done to investigate weather CD4+CD8+ T lymphocyte subgroup could be used to monitor the state of community.