[An analysis of CD3+CD56+ lymphocytes and their subsets in the peripheral blood of patients with chronic hepatitis B].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate CD3+CD56+ lymphocytes and their subsets in the peripheral blood of chronic hepatitis B patients and to explore the relationship between these cells and the pathogenesis of their diseases.


METHODS
Blood samples from 53 chronic hepatitis B patients, 17 from HBV asymptomatic carriers (ASC) and 19 from healthy controls (HC) were collected. CD3+CD56+ lymphocytes were detected by flow cytometry (FCM), then the CD3+CD56+ lymphocytes were gathered to analyze their expressions of CD4, CD8, TCR Valpha24, TCRalpha/beta and TCRgamma/delta.


RESULTS
The number of CD3+CD56+ lymphocytes of chronic hepatitis B patients (7.4+/-4.6%) was more than those of ASC (4.5%+/-3.5%) and healthy controls (4.4%+/-3.7%). The expressions of TCR Valpha24 on CD3+CD56+ lymphocytes showed no significant differences among the three groups, but the expression of TCR Valpha24 on CD3-CD56+ lymphocytes of ASC ( 2.8%+/-1.4% ) was much more than that of the HC (1.7%+/-1.0%). For the subsets analysis, the CD8 and TCRalpha/beta subsets of CD3+CD56+ lymphocytes of chronic hepatitis B (61.9%+/-16.8% and 68.1%+/-16.9%) were significantly higher than those of the HC (49.2%+/-15.6% and 56.4%+/-17.9%), while the TCRgamma/delta subsets of chronic hepatitis B and ASC (29.6%+/-15.4% and 30.5%+/-14.8%) were decreased significantly than those of the HC (41.4%+/-19.4%). On the other hand, the CD8 and TCRalpha/beta subsets of CD3+CD56+ lymphocytes of severe chronic hepatitis B (69.0%+/-14.0% and 76.1%+/-12.9%) and CD8 subsets of moderate chronic hepatitis B patients (66.4%+/-14.9%) were significantly higher than those of the mild chronic hepatitis B patients (51.4%+/-16.2% and 62.1%+/-14.6%).


CONCLUSIONS
The pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B may positively relate to the high expression of CD8 on the CD3+CD56+ lymphocytes.
Weng
Peng-jian
PJ
Infectious Disease Hospital of Ninbo, Ninbo 315010, China. wpj50@sina.com
Ying
Hao
H
Hong
Ling-zhen
LZ
Zhou
Wen-hong
WH
Hu
Yao-ren
YR
Xu
Chen-huai
CH
D000328:Adult; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
D017252:CD3 Complex; D019002:CD56 Antigen