title: Elevated levels of serum soluble E-selectin in patients with chronic hepatitis B: Correlation with T lymphocyte subsets, NK cells and liver inflammation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been reported that serum soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin) may be increased in some inflammatory liver diseases. The purpose of our study was to investigate changes of sE-selectin, T lymphocyte subsets, natural killer (NK) cells, and HBV load in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), analyze the relationship between them, and discuss their significances.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-four patients with chronic hepatitis B and fourteen controls were studied. Serum sE-selectin, T lymphocyte subsets, NK cells, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) load were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), flow cytometry (FCM), and fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR), respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  sE-selectin level in patients with CHB increased significantly than that in controls (p<0.01). The percentages of CD4 positive cells and NK cells decreased while the percentage of CD8 positive cells increased significantly in CHB patients than in controls (p<0.01, respectively). sE-selectin level significantly related to levels of T lymphocyte subsets, NK cells, serum alanine aminotransferase (sALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (sAST) (p<0.01, respectively), but had no relationship with HBV level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The sE-selectin levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B increase significantly and correlate to liver inflammation, suggesting that sE-selectin can be considered as an additional useful marker of CHB inflammatory activity, and E-selectin may play part of role in pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Shandong University School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Qianfoshan Hospital, Ji’nan 250014, Shandong Province, China; Department of Gastroenterology, Shandong University Qilu Hospital, Ji’nan, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Ming-Xian
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Hai-Ting
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wen-Qi
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yan-Qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Li