The correlation between intestinal endotoxemia and dendritic cell phenotype and function in patients with chronic hepatitis B / 中华传染病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the relationship between dendritic cell (DC)and intestinal endotoxemia in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).Methods Peripheral blood were collected from CHB patients (n = 80)and healthy controls (n = 21 ).Plasma endotoxin (ET)levels,liver function (alanine transaminase,total bilirubin)were detected.According to plasma ET concentration,all CHB patients were divided into two groupsET positive and ET negative.The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)were isolated and then cultured with recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor ( rhGM-CSF),recombinant human interleukin-4 ( rhIL-4 ),FMS-related tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt3L)and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)to derive DC.The phenotypic patterns were characterized by flow cytometry.The proliferation of T lymphocytes was evaluated with mixed leukocytes reaction (MLR)and the levels of IL-12 and interferon-γ (IFN-γ)produced by DC were analyzed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Comparisons among the two groups and healthy control group were done by single factor analysis of variance.Results Compared to healthy controls,the expressions of CD83,CD80,CD86,human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-DR and the proliferation of allogeneic T lymphocytes by DC were all significantly reduced in CHB patient groups.The expressions of CD83,CD80,CD86,HLA-DR and the activation of proliferation in ET positive subjects were lower than those in ET negative subjects [CD83 (8.25±3.63)% vs(11.39±4.35)% ,CD80 (10.63±4.52)% vs (13.56±5.13)%,CD86 (36.61±16.16)% vs (45.90±15.35)%,HLA-DR (61.65±14.33)% vs (70.35±18.89)%,the activation of proliferation0.812±0.311 vs 1.153±0.324; F=5.123,4.213,3.714,3.323 and 3.125,respectively; all P＜0.05].After cultured for 9 days,the secretions of IL-12 and IFN-γ by DC were significantly lower in CHB patients than in healthy controls [IL-12 (16.99± 6.74)pg/mL vs (44.51±14.56)pg/mL,IFN-γ (10.52±4.19)pg/mL vs (17.94±5.86)pg/mL].The level of IL-12 in the ET positive group was significantly lower than that ET negative group [( 13.14 ±5.71)pg/mL vs (20.98 ± 9.03)pg/mL; F= 3.225,P = 0.016].The level of IFN-γ was not different between two groups [(9.46 ± 3.24)pg/mL vs (11.54 ± 5.20)pg/mL; F = 2.003,P =0.076].Conclusion The intestinal endotoxemia may play a role in DC dysfunction in CHB patients.