[Difference and significance of peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subsets in patients with chronic hepatitis B and asymptomatic HBV carriers].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the difference of peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subsets in patients with chronic hepatitis B and asymptomatic HBV carriers, and to analyze the relationship between the pathogenesis of hepatitis B and the hosts' cellular immunity.


METHODS
Flow cytometry was used to detect the peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subsets in 29 patients of chronic hepatitis B, 25 asymptomatic HBV carriers and 35 healthy blood donors.


RESULTS
Compared with normal controls, the numbers of leucocytes, lymphocytes, T-lymphocytes, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, CD4+CD28+ T cells and CD8+CD28+ T cells decreased in both the patients with chronic hepatitis B and asymptomatic HBV carriers, the number of NK cells of the patients with chronic hepatitis B decreased as well. Compared with normal controls and asymptomatic HBV carriers, the proportions of CD8+CD38+ T cells and CD4+CD45RA-memory T cells markedly increased and the proportion and number of CD4+CD45RA+62L+ T cells decreased in patients with chronic hepatitis B.


CONCLUSIONS
There is an imbalance in peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subsets and turbulence in cellular immunity in the patients with chronic hepatitis B and asymptomatic HBV carriers, which may be associated with HBV persistent infection.
Tian
Ying
Y
Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
Qiu
Zhi-feng
ZF
Li
Tai-sheng
TS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001782:Blood Donors; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006515:Hepatitis B virus; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology