Differential profiles of T-cell subsets are present in peripheral blood of patients with various progressive forms of hepatitis B infection

Objective To determine whether various progressive forms of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, from HBV carriers to chronic hepatitis B (CHB) without complication or with cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) , are associated with differential profiles of T lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood.Methods Between 2009 and 2011, 318 HBV infections presented for treatment at our hospital, including eight HBV carriers, 231 cases of CHB, 61 cases of CHB-related cirrhosis, and 18 cases of CHB-related HCC.Peripheral blood samples were collected from each patient, as well as from 22 non-HBV infected individuals (to serve as healthy controls) .The various T lymphocyte subsets (CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+) were detected by flow cytometry and expressed as percentages of the entire T lymphocyte cell population.HBV DNA presence and quantity was assessed by fluorescence real-time polymerase chain reaction.Differences between groups were assessed by the Kruskal-Wallis H test.Pairwise comparisons were made by Dunnett's test and multiple comparisons were made by the least significant difference test.Results Compared to the healthy control group, all four of the HBV-infected groups showed significantly less peripheral blood T cell percentages of CD3+ (all, P<0.01) and CD4+ (all, P<0.01) ;however, only the HBV-infected groups of HBV-related cirrhosis and HCC showed significantly less percentages of CD8+ (P<0.05) .none="" of="" the="" hbv-infected="" groups="" showed="" a="" significantly="" different="" ratio="" from="" that="" detected="" in="" healthy="" control="" group="" p="">0.05) .There was a general trend in decreasing percentages of the peripheral blood T cell subsets that followed increases in hepatitis disease progression (HBV carriers>CHB>HBV-related cirrhosis>HBV-related HCC) .Conclusion Progression of the HBV infection to more severe forms of liver disease is accompanied by ebbs in the CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cell subsets.Significantly differential profiles of immunomodulatory cell types may represent useful targets of novel therapeutic strategies tailored to the various progressive forms of CHB.