title: Role of activation-induced cell death in pathogenesis of patients with chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study and compare the difference of activation-induced cell death (AICD) in peripheral blood T-lymphocytes(PBL-Ts) from patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and the normal people in vitro, and to explore the role of AICD in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and the pathogenesis of CHB.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five patients and fourteen healthy people were selected for isolation of PBL-Ts. During cultivation, anti-CD3 mAb, PMA and ionomycin were used for AICD of PBL-Ts. AICD ratio of PBL-Ts was detected with TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling and assessed by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When induced with anti-CD3, PMA and ionomycin in vitro, AICD ratio of PBL-Ts from CHB patients was significantly higher than that from healthy control (17.24+/-1.21 vs. 6.63+/-1.00, P<0.01) and that from CHB patients without induction (17.24+/-1.21 vs. 9.88+/-1.36, P<0.01). There was a similar AICD ratio of PBL-Ts between induction group and without induction group, but no difference was found before and after induction in healthy control. The density of INF-gamma in culture media of induction groups of CHB was lower than that of other groups (P<0.01). There was no difference between these groups in density of IL-10 (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When induced during cultivation in vitro, PBL-Ts from CHB have AICD very commonly. This phenomenon has a potentially important relation with pathogenesis of CHB and chronicity of HBV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang Province, China. cshou2000@sina.com
authors.forename: Chun-Sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Gui-Qiang
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shu-Lan
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Bei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: Ming-Rong
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiao-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jian-Wu
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016923:Cell Death; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines