Decreased numbers and impaired function of circulating dendritic cell subsets in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection (R2).
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the frequencies, numbers and function of circulating dendritic cell (DC) subsets in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, we assayed the circulating precursor DC subsets (including pDC1 and pDC2) and their ability in patients at various stages of HBV infection in vitro.


METHODS
Circulating pDC1 and pDC2 frequencies in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were analyzed by flow cytometric analysis. Costimulatory molecule expression and allostimulatory mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR) of DC1, cultured from PBMC in vitro, were detected in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). On behalf of pDC2, interferon (IFN)-alpha production of PBMC was determined by the ELISA method in HBV-infected patients.


RESULTS
The number of circulating pDC1 decreased only in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) compared with that in normal controls. However, pDC2 numbers decreased in both CHB and LC patients. DC1 from CHB patients showed lower expression of costimulatory molecules CD80, CD86 and impaired allostimulatory mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR) compared with those in normal controls. The ability of PBMC to secrete IFN-alpha also decreased significantly in patients with chronic HBV infection.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that patients with chronic HBV infection have a significantly lower expression of costimulatory molecules and impaired AMLR of pDC1, as well as decreased number and impaired function of circulating pDC2, which may be partially related to HBV disease progression in these patients.
Duan
Xue-Zhang
XZ
Research Center of Biological Therapy, Beijing Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing 302 Hospital of PLA, 100 Xi Si Huan Zhong Road, Beijing 100-039, China.
Zhuang
Hui
H
Wang
Min
M
Li
Han-Wei
HW
Liu
Jing-Chao
JC
Wang
Fu-Sheng
FS
D000328:Adult; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008297:Male; D019562:Viral Load
D016898:Interferon-alpha