Host’s Specific T Lymphocytic Responses And Clinical Outcomes In Chronic HBV Infection

[Objective]:The pathogenesis of HBV infection has not been well elucidated. Our study aims to analyse the relationship between the clinical outcome of chronic HBV infection and the host’s specific T cellular immunity, which would contribute to clarifying the mechanism of chronic hepatitis B as well as its therapy.[Methods]:43volunteers from Peking Union Medical College Hospital were divided into4groups:10patients with chronic hepatitis B,10HBV carriers;13volunteers with resolved subclinical HBV infection and10volunteers in the control group. PBMC isolated from volunteers were labeled with CFSE, and stimulated with PHA, HBsAg, HBcAg and HBcAg peptides library including3peptides pools, respectively. The phenotypes of proliferated lymphocytes were determined by flow cytometry, labeled with CD3, CD4, CD8, CD45RA and CCR7respectively.[Results]:The specific T cells proliferation upon stimulation by HBsAg in recovered HBV volunteers was higher than that in chronic infected persons which including chronic hepatitis B and carriers. While in responses to the HBcAg and HBcAg peptides pools, no differences was observed between the stimulated wells and control wells. Frequencies of CD45RA-CCR7+T cells which in specific proliferated T cells was different in four groups, that was proportional to the specific T lymphocytes response.[Conclusions]:Specific T lymphocyte proliferation dysfuntion exists in chronic HBV infection. Compared with HBV chronic infected persons, the recovered persons have stronger specific T cellular immunity. CD45RA-CCR7+T lymphocytes probably play important roles in the immune pathogenesis of chronic HBV infection. The immunogenicity of HBsAg on facilitating T cells proliferation is stronger than HBcAg.