[Relations between ALT level and count of HBV special CTL and non-specific CTL in patients with chronic hepatitis B].
OBJECTIVE
To explore relations between ALT level and hepatitis B virus (HBV) specific CTL and non-specific CTL in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).


METHODS
148 cases of CHB were divided into three groups according to ALT level. 35 cases in group A, ALT > or =2 x upper limit of normal value (ULN)--5 x ULN (100-250 IU/L); 53 cases in group B, ALT > 5 x ULN-- < or =10 x ULN (251-500 IU/L); 60 cases in group C, ALT > 10 x ULN ( > 500 IU/L). Flow cytometry is used to determine non-specific CTV. HBV specific CTL was tested on 74 cases of CHB (17 in group A, 27 in group B and 30 in group C) with positive (HLA)-A2. Compare HBV specific CTL, non-specific CTL, HBV DNA levels and positive rate of HBeAg.


RESULTS
HBV specific CTL: Group A (0.42 +/- 0.10)% is higher than group B (0.25 +/- 0.08)%, t = 6.37, P < 0.01, group B is higher than group C (0.17 +/- 0.004)%, t = 5.14, P < 0.01; Non-specific CTL: Group A (15.01 +/- 3.01)% is lower than group B (18.1 +/- 5.02)%, t = 2.81, P < 0.01, group B is lower than group C (21.5 +/- 6.11)%, t = 3.07, P < 0.01; HBV DNA level: Group A [(4.97 +/- 0.86) log10 copies/ml] is lower than group B [(5.92 +/- 0.92) log10 copies/ml], t = 4.87, P < 0.01. Group B is lower than group C [(6.37 +/- 0.71) log10 copies/ml], t = 2.92, P < 0.01; Positive HBeAg: Group A (15 cases, 42.86%) is lower than group B (32 cases, 60.38%), chi2 = 2.59, P > 0.05. Group B is lower than group C (41 cases, 68.33%), chi2 = 0.78, P > 0.05. Group A is lower than group C, chi2 = 5.929, P < 0.05.


CONCLUSIONS
The higher the non-specific CTL of patients with CHB is, the higher the ALT level would be, whereas the lower the HBV specific CTL is, the stronger the HBV replication would be.
Gu
Xi-bin
XB
Wuxi Infectious Hospital, Wuzxi 214005, China. gxb188681@sina.com
Yang
Xiao-juan
XJ
Wang
Dong
D
Hua
Zhong
Z
Wu
Hang-yuan
HY
Xu
Yue-qin
YQ
Lu
Zhong-hua
ZH
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014779:Virus Replication; D055815:Young Adult
D000410:Alanine Transaminase