Relationship between percentages of T lymphocytes in peripheral blood and deficiency of vital qi in patients with HBV- ACLF

Objective To investigate the relationship between percentages of T lymphocytes in peripheral blood and deficiency of vital qi in patients with hepatitis B virus- related acute- on- chronic liver failure (HBV- ACLF) .Methods Forty patients with early- stage HBV-ACLF were enrolled as liver failure group, and 50 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) as CHB group;20 healthy subjects who underwent physical examination in the clinic during the same period were selected as control group.Flow cytometry was used to determine the percentages of CD3+T lymphocytes, CD4+and CD8+T lymphocytes, and CD4+CD25+regulatory T cells (Tregs) in peripheral blood, as well as CD4+/ CD8+ratio, and the three groups were compared in this regard by analysis of variance.Results Compared with the control group and CHB group, the liver failure group had a significantly decreased percentage of CD3+T lymphocytes in peripheral blood (34.12% ± 22.33% vs 50.31% ± 12.09% and 49.72% ± 20.11%, P < 0.05) , a significantly increased CD4+/ CD8+ratio (1.78 ± 1.25 vs 1.32 ± 0.31 and 1.31 ± 0.52, P < 0.05) , and a significantly decreased percentage of CD4+CD25+Tregs in peripheral blood (0.83% ± 1.00% vs 2.93% ± 1.31% and 3.17% ± 2.29%, P < 0.05) .Conclusion Once HBV- ACLF develops, T lymphocyte cells in peripheral blood and related effector T lymphocytes are“exhausted”, which reveals that the characteristics of its pathogenesis is“deficiency of vital qi”.