[Clinical profiles of circulating dendritic cell subsets in chronically HBV-infected patients with interferon-alpha treatment].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the changes of circulating dendritic cell (DC) sunsets in chronic hepatitis B patients treated with alpha-interferon and correlation thereof with therapeutic effectiveness.


METHODS
Twenty-five patients with chronic hepatitis B. 24 males and 1 females, aged 18 approximately 43, were treated with subcutaneous injection of alpha-interferon for 24 weeks and then followed up for another 24 weeks. Blood routine, liver function, renal function, and serum HBV DNA were examined before treatment, and 12, 24, and 48 weeks after beginning of treatment. Peripheral blood samples were collected to detect the DC subsets by flow cytometry.


RESULTS
Those patients with complete or partial recovery of alanine transaminase (ALT) and negative seroconversion or decrease of HBV DNA with/without negative seroconversion of HBeAg and HBsAg were grouped as alpha-interferon responders, and those failing to reach the above criteria were grouped as nonresponders. The negative seroconversion rates of HBV DNA and HBeAg, and positive seroconversion rate of anti-HBe were 35%, 40%, and 10 respectively after 24 weeks' treatment and were 40%, 33.3%, and 20% respectively after 48 weeks' treatment. The numbers of myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) were 16.5 +/- 5.51 x 10(6)/L, 9.86 +/- 5.2 x 10(6)/L, 9.20 +/- 3.19 x 10(6)/L, and 10.0 +/- 3.64 x 10(6)/L respectively in the alpha-interferon responders (P = 0.045); and were 14.41 +/- 6.62 x 10(6)/L, 14.0 +/- 5.27 x 10(6)/L, 10.40 +/- 4.6 x 10(6)/L, and 12.3 +/- 5.23 x 10(6)/L respectively in the non-responders (P = 0.283) before treatment, and after 12, 1 24, and 48 weeks' treatment respectively. The numbers of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) were 5.91 +/- 2.35 x 10(6)/L, 4.25 +/- 2.00 x 10(6)/L, 3.30 +/- 1.55 x 10(6)/L, and 4.32 +/- 1.59 x 10(6)/L respectively in the alpha-interferon responders (P = 0.004); and were 5.10 +/- 1.72 x 10(6)/L, 4.06 +/- 1.67 x 10(6)/L, 3.89 +/- 1.25 x 10(6)/L, and 4.06 +/- 8.12 x 10(6)/L respectively in the non-responders before treatment, and after 12, 24, and 48 weeks' treatment respectively ((P = 0.211).


CONCLUSIONS
Effective on CHB, alpha-interferon induces the percentages and numbers of circulating DC subsets, especially in the-interferon responders.
Yan
Tao
T
Sixth Department of 302 Hospital of PLA, Beijing 100039, China.
Wang
Hui-fen
HF
Ji
Wei
W
Zhang
Ai-min
AM
Zhang
Zheng
Z
Zhang
Hui
H
Wang
Fu-sheng
FS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male
D016898:Interferon-alpha