Analysis of hepatic CD4~+,CD8~+,CD20~+,and CD57~+ T lymphocytes in chronic hepatitis B patients with different HBe Ag status

Objective To investigate the relationship of hepatic immune cells( CD4+,CD8+,CD20+,and CD57+T lymphocytes) with liver pathology and clinical relevance in chronic hepatitis B( CHB) patients with different HBe Ag status. Methods A total of 70 CHB patients admitted to our hospital from January 2008 to December 2013 underwent liver biopsy,among whom 38 were HBe Ag positive and 32 were HBe Ag negative. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression of CD4+,CD8+,CD20+,and CD57+T lymphocytes in hepatic tissues,and the correlation between their expression and clinical relevance was analyzed in patients with different HBe Ag status.Ranked data were analyzed by Kruskal- Walls H test. Comparison between groups was made by Nemenyi test. Correlation analysis was made by linear regression method. Results When inflammation reached to the level of G3- G4 in patients with either positive or negative HBe Ag,the expression of hepatic CD8+and CD20+cells in them was significantly higher than that in patients with inflammation level of G1( all P < 0. 05). When the levels of inflammation reached G4 in patients with positive HBe Ag and G3 in those with negative HBe Ag,the expression of hepatic CD4+cells was significantly higher than that in patients with G1 inflammation( all P < 0. 05). In patients with negative HBe Ag,the CD4+,CD8+,CD20+,and CD57+lymphocytes all showed a positive correlation with alanine aminotransferase( ALT) level( r = 0. 353,0. 628,0. 693,and 0. 540,respectively; all P < 0. 05). In addition,CD20+lymphocytes also showed a positive correlation with hepatitis B virus( HBV) DNA( r = 0. 378,P < 0. 05). However,in patients with positive HBe Ag,only CD8+and CD20+lymphocytes showed a positive correlation with ALT level,and no correlation was found between all lymphocyte populations and HBV DNA. Conclusion The expression of CD4+,CD8+,and CD20+lymphocytes was significantly correlated with the grade of inflammation in hepatic tissues in patients with different HBe Ag status,whereas the correlations between hepatic immune cells and levels of ALT and HBV DNA vary.