Dynamics of memory T cells during treatment with interferon-alpha in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association of memory T cell subsets with viral response during treatment with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha).


METHODS
To address this issue, the dynamics of memory T cell subsets was monitored in 57 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) during treatment with pegylated IFN-alpha through testing the phenotypes of memory T cells with flowcytometry.


RESULTS
There were clear differences in the phenotypes of these cells during therapy. Memory T cells converted from the major subsets to the minor in the process of treatment with IFN-alpha. Patients who presented a response showed significantly higher percentages of CD8+ T(EM) at 0 and 24 weeks (both P < 0.05), and lower frequency of CD8+ T(CM) than non-responders at 0 and 24 weeks (both P < 0.05). Moreover, the average dosage of IFN-alpha applied to patients with viral response to treatment was 1.43 +/- 0.18 microg/kg, significantly higher than 1.31 +/- 0.25 microg/kg in nonresponders (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The quantity and quality of memory T cell subsets fluctuates during treatment with IFN-alpha. High frequency of T(EM) subsets may be associated with response to treatment with IFN-alpha. A better knowledge of mechanisms underlying the response to therapy may be important for development of new immunotherapeutic strategies to increase CD8 T-cell effectiveness in CHB infection.
Sun
Bin
B
Intervention therapy Center of Liver Diseases, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Wang
Yanjun
Y
Meng
Qinghua
Q
Liu
Daojie
D
Dong
Peiling
P
Ding
Huiguo
H
Wu
Hao
H