Study On The Expression Of TLR4 In Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Of Patients With Chronic HBV Infection

ObjectiveTo examine the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) protein and mRNA in thePeripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell of patients with HBV infection includingchronic hepatitis 37 cases, liver cirrhosis 28 cases and severe hepatitis 31 cases, andexplore the relationship of TLR4 and chronic HBV infection.MethodTLR4 was measured by flow cytometre and RT-PCR in patients with HBV infectionand normal controls. And the levels of liver function were measured as well as bloodroutine, PTA . HBVDNA was measured by Real-time PCR.Result(1) The expression of TLR4 protein on PBMC: the positive expression rate of monocyte > lymphocyte > neutrophil.(2) The expression of TLR4 protein and mRNA in severe hepatitis patients ,liver cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis were higher than those in normal controls (P < 0.05) .(3) And the increasing expression of TLR4 was positively related with the incurring of the hepatic cells. It is to say that the expression of TLR4 in severe hepatitis is statistically higher than that in liver cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis. (4) The expression of TLR4 is positively relative with the level of AST, ALT,TBIL AND The percent of neutrophil(r = 0.475, 0.558, 0.924, 0.443, P <0.05)(5) The expression of TLR4 is negatively relative with serum albumin, PTA ( r = -0.927,-0.,902, P <0.05) .(6) The expression of TLR4 is not significantly relative with HBVDNA level( r = -0.272), which is different with the acute hepatitis B.Conclusion(1)The effect cells in the response and recognize of TLR4 to LPS are monocyte andlymphocyte, not neutrophil. (2)The expression of TLR4 protein and mRNA in patients with severe hepatitis ishigher than that in liver cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis. (3)The increasing expression of TLR4 protein and mRNA in patients with chronicHBV infection was significantly relative with the degree of damage on liver celland development of disease. (4)The expression of TLR4 is not relative with the level of HBVDNA, which indicatethat the pathogenesis of TLR4 in chronic hepatitis B is different from acutehepatitis B.