| To elucidate the role of Th1/Th2/Th3 cells in patients with chronic HBV- infection, the production of IL-4/IFN-γ/TGF-β by CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood was determined by FCM. The percentage of IFN-γ -producing T cells, IL- 4-producing T cells and TGF-β producing T cells ranged from 2.3-1 8.6%, 1.1-8.7% and 0.7%-7.1% respectively in CD4+ cells from non-infected individuals. The majority of CD4+T cells from PBMCs in chronic HBV-infected individuals were Th0 cells. The proportion of Th1 cells increased significantly with the hepatic inflammation activity, and that in active period of chronic hepatitis B was higher than that in nonactive period of chronic hepatitis B (P<0.05). The percentage of Th2 cells in CD4+ T cells from HBV-infected individuals did not differ significantly (P>0.05), but higher than that from controls (P<0.05); while that of Th3 cells in CD4+ T cells from AsC group was higher than that in CHB group and control (P<0.05). The results indicated that Th1 phenotype cytokines were associated with hepatic inflammation activity of chronic hepatitis B, and Th2 cells may be associated with the persistence of HBV infection. Th3 cell cooperating with Th2 cell exerts negative immunoregulator action and may be associated with the immune tolerance state of chronic HBV infection. The tnRNA of LL-4 and IFN-γ in PBMC of chronic hepatitis B was tested by RT-PCR There were no mRNA of IL-4 and IFN-γ detected in nonactive period. whereas the expression rate of IFN-γ mRNA in active period was 100%, and in convalescent period 50% (p |
PDF Full Text Request