title: [Clinical profiles of circulating dendritic cell subsets in chronically HBV-infected patients with interferon-alpha treatment].
abstract: 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.
authors: Sixth Department of 302 Hospital of PLA, Beijing 100039, China.
authors: Tao
authors: T
authors: Yan
authors: Hui-fen
authors: HF
authors: Wang
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Ji
authors: Ai-min
authors: AM
authors: Zhang
authors: Zheng
authors: Z
authors: Zhang
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Zhang
authors: Fu-sheng
authors: FS
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha