The Changes and Clinical Significance of Th17 Cell in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B

Objective To investigate the changes and clinical significance of Th17 cells in patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB).Methods 45 patients with moderate CHB,26 patients with severe CHB and 25 for physical examinations were selected as the objects of study.The frequency of Th17 cells,the expression of retinoid-related orphan receptor(ROR) c mRNA,and the level of plasma IL-17A were measured by intracellular staining,real-time quantitative PCR and ELISA,respectively.Results The frequency of Th17 cells,RORc mRNA expression and the level of plasma IL-17A were significantly higher in the moderate CHB group and severe CHB group than those in the control group(P0.05),whereas there was no statistically significant difference between the moderate CHB group and severe CHB group(P0.05).Conclusion The activation of Th17 cells has been in existence in CHB patients,and such activation may participate in the development of CHB.