title: Stimulation of human lymphocyte proliferation and CD40 antigen expression by phosphorothioate oligonucleotides complementary to hepatitis B virus genome.
abstract: We have studied the proliferation and CD40 antigen expression of lymphocytes, and the cytotoxicity to monocytes, of antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides complementary to the SP II promoter of HBV mRNA (sequence I) and the X gene (sequence II) in patients with chronic hepatitis B. The oligo sequence I stimulated proliferation of both T and, to a lesser extent, B cells. The percentage of cells expressing CD40 in T and B cell co-cultures increased from 4.2% to 13.8% after oligo stimulation in patients, while it increased form 4.7% to 48.6% in healthy controls. The sense sequence (sequence III) of the X gene also enhanced the expression of CD40 antigen in patients with hepatitis B. The proportion of CD40 cells (26%) in a resting B-cell preparation from hepatitis B patients decreased to zero after a 5-day culture with sequence I, but IgG levels in the culture supernatant increased. The cytotoxic properties of monocytes were not influenced by the oligos. These findings indicate that antisense oligos against hepatitis B virus (HBV) have mitogenic effects on the proliferation of human lymphocytes in a non-specific manner and may activate T cells to express CD40 antigen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases 105th Hospital, HeFei, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002908:Chronic Disease; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins
chemical_list: D019013:CD40 Antigens; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015534:Trans-Activators; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; C057628:hepatitis B virus X protein