ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the relationship between viral load and expression of CD 226 on the surface of peripheral blood T follicular helper cells (Tfh) in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) . Methods One hundred and thirty-five CHC patients hospitalized at Wuxi Fifth People′s Hospital from March 2015 to April 2017 were collected ,and another 30 healthy blood donors were set as healthy control group .CHC patients were divided into two groups based on hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA level ,with 49 cases (36 .3％ ) in low viral load group and 86 cases (63 .7％ ) in high viral load group .Expression of CD226 on the surface of peripheral blood Tfh cells , Tfh cells ,interleukin (IL )-21 and HCV specific cytotoxic lymphocyte (CTL) levels of two patient groups were compared .Categorical data were compared with chi-square test and normally distribute continuous data were compared with t test .Correlations between different factors were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis .Results Expression of CD226 on the surface of peripheral blood Tfh cells in 135 cases of CHC patients was (77 .69 ± 5 .42)％ ,which was lower than that of healthy control ([90 .06 ± 5 .83]％ ) ,and the difference between the two groups was significant (t= 7 .541 , P < 0 .01) .The CD226 expression on the peripheral blood Tfh cells in low viral load group was (88 .75 ± 6 .68)％ ,which was higher than that of high viral load group ([69 .23 ± 5 .86]％ ) ,and the difference between the two groups was significant (t = 19 .232 , P< 0 .01) .The viral load was negatively correlated with Tfh cell surface CD 226 expression (r = - 0 .705 , P < 0 .01) .The peripheral blood Tfh cell level in 135 CHC patients was higher than that of healthy control ,and the difference between the two groups was significant (t= 13 .878 , P< 0 .01) .The peripheral blood Tfh cell level in low viral load group was higher than that in high viral load group ,and the difference between the two groups was significant (t= 26 .993 , P< 0 .01) .The IL-21 level of 135 CHC patients was lower than that of healthy control ([70 .35 ± 1 .6]％ ) ,and the difference between the two groups was significant (t=18 .322 , P< 0 .01) .The IL-21 level in peripheral blood of low viral load group was higher than that of high viral load group ,and the difference between the two groups was significant (t= 84 .54 , P< 0 .01) . HCV specific CTL level in peripheral blood of low viral load group was higher than that of high viral load group ,and the difference between the two groups was significant (t = 29 .869 , P< 0 .01) .The viral load was negatively correlated with levels of HCV specific CTL (r= -0 .734 ,P< 0 .01) .Conclusions In patients with chronic hepatitis C ,different levels of viral load can result in different levels of CD 226 expression on the peripheral blood Tfh cells .Patients with low viral load has high CD226 expression on Tfh cell surface , resulting in rise of Tfh cell level ,IL-21 level and HCV specific CTL level .
ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the association between the difference of specific cytotoxic lymphocyte (CTL) and liver function of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype B and C infections and interleukin (IL)‐7 induced follicular helper T lymphocytes (Tfh) .Methods Sixty‐seven patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) hospitalized at Wuxi No .5 People′s Hospital from August 2013 to January 2015 were collected and 30 healthy blood donors were set as healthy control group .The peripheral blood IL‐7 , Tfh ,IL‐21 ,HBV specific‐CTL ,nonspecific CTL ,levels of HBV DNA ,alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and total bilirubin (TBil) were compared between patients with genotype B and C infection ,hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐positive and HBeAg‐negative CHB ,high ALT level and low ALT level .Multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine the factors associated with IL‐7 .The t test was used for quantitative data and chi‐square test was used for categorical data .Results Of the 67 CHB patients with average age of (35 .1 ± 11 .4) ,48 were male and 19 were female;32 were infected with genotype C and 35 were infected with genotype B ;40 were HBeAg‐positive CHB and 27 were HBeAg‐negative CHB ;17 were with high ALT levels and 50 were with low ALT levels .IL‐7 ,Tfh ,IL‐21 and HBV specific‐CTL levels in the peripheral blood of genotype C‐infected patients were (20 .79 ± 4 .82 ) ng/L , (3 .93 ± 0 .82)% ,(24 .77 ± 7 .52) ng/L and (0 .20 ± 0 .04)% ,respectively ,while in genotype B‐infected patients , those were (29 .13 ± 8 .17) ng/L ,(5 .92 ± 1 .92)% ,(39 .94 ± 24 .00) ng/L and (0 .40 ± 0 .06)% , respectively .Levels of IL‐7 , Tfh ,IL‐21 and HBV specific‐CTL in genotype C‐infected patients were significantly lower than those in genotype B‐infected patients (t= 5 .027 ,5 .595 ,3 .553 and 15 .133 , respectively ;all P<0 .01) .Nonspecific CTL ,HBV DNA ,ALT and TBil levels in the peripheral blood of genotype C‐infected patients were all significantly higher than those in genotype B infected‐patients (t=4 .899 ,6 .815 ,2 .763 and 4 .899 ,respectively ;all P< 0 .01) .IL‐7 ,Tfh ,IL‐21 ,HBV specific‐CTL levels in the peripheral blood of HBeAg‐positive patients were significantly lower than those in HBeAg‐negative patients (all P<0 .01) .Nonspecific CTL ,HBV DNA ,ALT and TBil levels in the peripheral blood of HBeAg‐positive patients were all significantly higher than those in HBeAg‐negative patients (all P<0 .05) .IL‐7 ,Tfh ,IL‐21 ,HBV specific‐CTL levels in the peripheral blood of patients with high ALT levels were all significantly lower than those in patients with low ALT levels (all P<0 .01) .Nonspecific CTL and HBV DNA levels in the peripheral blood of patients with high ALT levels were both significantly higher than those in patients with low ALT levels (both P<0 .01) .HBV DNA ,IL‐21 and nonspecific CTL were all correlated with IL‐7 (all P<0 .01) .Conclusion The differences of HBV specific‐CTL and liver function in CHB patients infected with genotype B and C may be correlated with interleukin‐7 induced Tfhcells.