[Involvement of TRAIL up-regulation of CD4+, CD8+ T cells in liver injury in chronic hepatitis B].
OBJECTIVE
To describe a novel mechanism for TRAIL up-regulation of CD4+, CD8+ T cells to participate in the pathophysiological process in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).


METHODS
The serum levels of soluble TRAIL (sTRAIL), IFN-gamma and membrane bound TRAIL expression on peripheral leucocytes from 58 CHB patients were examined by ELISA and flow cytometry respectively. The levels of TRAIL were compared with the baseline levels of 15 healthy controls, and correlation analysis were performed between ALT, TBil and PT, morphological change in hepatic tissues.


RESULTS
The results showed that TRAIL levels on membranes of CD4+, CD8+ T cells in CHB patients were much higher than the healthy controls (P < 0.001), which of CD4+ T cells positively correlated with serum TBil (r=0.354, P = 0.008), Serum IFN-gamma level (r=0.302, P = 0.011) and which of CD8+ T cells positively correlated with serum TBil (r=0.522, P = 0.000), ALT (r=0.393, P = 0.003), PT (r=0.385, P = 0.004), serum IFN-gamma level (r=0.307, P = 0.009). The serum levels of soluble TRAIL only correlated with serum HBeAg expression (r=0.695, P = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that the expression of TRAIL on the membranes of lymphocytes was up-regulated, which may take part in the immunopathogenesis in CHB patients. TRAIL expression can be induced either by virus-specific protein expression or by inflammation cytokine IFN-gamma
Chen
Gong-ying
GY
Institute of Infectious Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
He
Jian-qin
JQ
Lv
Guo-cai
GC
Li
Min-wei
MW
Xu
Chen-huai
CH
Fan
Wei-wei
WW
Chen
Zhi
Z
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015854:Up-Regulation
D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D004279:DNA, Viral; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; C505653:TNFSF10 protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma