[PD-1 expression in peripheral T cells of patients with HBV infection and its significance].
To analyze the expression levels of PD-1 (program death factor-1) in peripheral T cells from patients infected with HBV, and to investigate its relationship with HBV serological markers.



A total of 65 HLA-A2+ subjects, including 31 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 9 with acute resolved hepatitis B (AHB), 15 with HBV related liver cirrhosis (LC) and 10 healthy blood donators, were enrolled. The expression of PD-1 in peripheral T cells and PD-1 ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2 in PBMCs were determined by relative quantitative real-time PCR. The serum HBV markers, HBV DNA load and liver function were also measured.



Taken the PD-1 and PD-ligands expression in normal controls as a baseline level, the expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 from CHB patients was significantly increased, while the expression of PD-L2 was relatively low in all groups. In CHB patients, the PD-1 expression in peripheral T cells from patients with high viral load was much higher than that from those with low viral load or from normal controls. And the PD-1 expression level positively correlated with serum HBV DNA load (r=0.41, P<0.01) but not with serum ALT level.



Long-term exposure to HBV antigens in CHB patients may increase the expression of PD-1 in T cells and thus leads to the virus persistent infection.
Peng
Guo-ping
GP
Institute of Infectious Diseases, National Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
Sun
Wen
W
Sun
Zhen
Z
D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061027:Programmed Cell Death 1 Ligand 2 Protein; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D019562:Viral Load
D015703:Antigens, CD; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen; C423236:CD274 protein, human; D004279:DNA, Viral; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C105992:PDCD1 protein, human; C556977:PDCD1LG2 protein, human; D061027:Programmed Cell Death 1 Ligand 2 Protein; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor; D012333:RNA, Messenger