[Frequency and function decrease of circulating type 2 pre-dendritic cells (pDC2) and its clinical significance in liver cirrhotic patients with chronic HBV infection].
OBJECTIVE
To identify the frequency and interferon (IFN)-alpha-producing ability of circulating type 2 pre-dendritic cells (pDC2) and evaluate its role in liver cirrhotic patients with chronic HBV infection.


METHODS
27 liver cirrhotic patients were included in our study and 25 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 25 healthy individuals were enrolled as controls. The numbers of circulating pDC2 and lymphocytes including CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, NK cells as well as B cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. The IFN-alpha-producing function of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) representing the circulating pDC2 was determined by ELISA assay after stimulated by ultraviolet-inactivated herpes simplex virus-1 (UV-HSV-1).


RESULTS
The number of pDC2 were (7.21+/-2.38)*10(6)/L, (4.49+/-3.08) *10(6)/L and (2.89+/-1.17) *10(6)/L for healthy control, chronic hepatitis B and cirrhotic patients respectively. Both the number and IFN-alpha-producing function of circulating pDC2 in liver cirrhotic patients significantly lower than that in healthy subjects. There was a correlated simultaneous decrease numbers of circulating CD8+ T cells, NK cells in HBV-infected cirrhotic patients. Furthermore, cirrhotic patients with opportunistic infections have lower numbers of pDC2, CD8+ T cells and NK cells compared to those without opportunistic infections.


CONCLUSIONS
Liver cirrhotic patients with chronic HBV infection have a significant decrease of circulating pDC2 level and IFN-alpha-producing function. The decreased number and function of pDC2, together with the lower number of CD8+ T cells and NK cells may result in the decline of host immune response, which may partially contribute to the disease progression of HBV infection and opportunistic infections.
Duan
Xue-zhang
XZ
Division of Bio-engineering, the 302nd Hospital of PLA, Beijing 100039, China.
Wang
Fu-sheng
FS
Wang
Min
M
Zhuang
Hui
H
Liu
Jing-chao
JC
D002452:Cell Count; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology
D016898:Interferon-alpha