The effect of telbivudine on peripheral blood CD4~+ CD25~+ CD127~(low) T cells and CD8~+ CD25~+ T cells and its clinical significance

This study aimed to investigate the effects of telbivudine on peripheral blood CD4+ CD25+ CD127 low T cells and CD8+ CD25+ T cells and its significance in patients with chronic hepatitis B.Twenty-two HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B patients were recruited and received telbivudine treatment.Before and during the 3 or 6 months of treatment,the proportion of peripheral blood CD4+ CD25+ CD127 low T cells and CD8+ CD25+ T cells was detected by flow cytometry;the levels of HBV DNA in the serum were assayed by real-time PCR;the levels of Foxp3 mRNA were measured by real-time RT PCR;markers of hepatitis B virus infection were detected by ELISA assay and levels of alanine aminotransferase in the serum were measured.The proportion of peripheral blood CD4+ CD25+ CD127 low T cells and CD8+ CD25+ T cells in patients with CHB was significantly higher than that in healthy controls and decreased after 3 or 6 months of telbivudine treatment to a level comparable to that of the healthy controls.The levels of HBV DNA in patients,whose proportion of peripheral blood CD4+ CD25+ CD127 low T cells was also decreased to a level comparable to that of the healthy control,were undetectable.Three and six months of telbivudine treatments resulted in HBeAg negativity in 2 patients(9.1%) and 4 patients(18.2%),respectively.All these results indicate that telbivudine treatment not only reduce serum HBV DNA levels rapidly and profoundly,but also indirectly affect immune system by downregulating the proportion of peripheral blood CD4+ CD25+ CD127 low T cells and CD8+ CD25+ T cells markedly,which is probably beneficial to restore antivirus immune response.