[Expression of IFN-alpha/beta receptor in the PBMCs and liver of patients with hepatitis B and its clinical significance].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the role of interferon (IFN)-alpha/beta receptor beta subunit (IFNAR2) in the patients' response to IFN-alpha therapy as influenced by the grade of chronic hepatic inflammation, and understand the relation of IFNAR2 expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with HBV infection.


METHODS
Liver tissue specimens were obtained from 21 patients with chronic hepatitis B for examination of the hepatic inflammation, and PBMCs were isolated from another 16 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 15 health control subjects. Both the hepatic tissues and PBMCs were examined for IFNAR2 expression using immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
The 21 patients with chronic hepatitis B were divided into 3 groups according to the severity of hepatic inflammation, namely G(1) (n=3), G(2) (n=7) and G(3) (n=11) groups. The patients in G(3) group showed had significantly higher IFNAR2 expressions in liver (25.1307-/+7.0700) than those of the G(1) (5.6913-/+1.8422) and G(2) (7.4706-/+5.3572) groups (P=0.000). The IFNAR2 levels in the PBMCs, however, did not show significant difference between patients with chronic hepatitis B and the healthy control subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with chronic hepatitis B, IFNAR2 expression level is positively correlated to the severity of hepatic inflammation, and increased IFNAR2 expression in severe hepatic inflammation is therefore likely to result in increased response rate to INF-alpha therapy. The expression of IFNAR2 in the PBMCs is not associated with HBV infection.
Fan
He-Bin
HB
Department of Clinical Immunology, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China. fan_hebin@126.com
Guo
Ya-Bing
YB
Wang
Bao-Ju
BJ
Zhu
You-Fu
YF
Wu
Ai-Hua
AH
Hou
Jin-Lin
JL
Yang
Dong-Liang
DL
D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D053633:Receptor, Interferon alpha-beta / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
D053633:Receptor, Interferon alpha-beta