title: Roles of circulating soluble interleukin (IL)-6 receptor and IL-6 receptor expression on CD4+ T cells in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to investigate the potential clinical roles of circulating soluble interleukin (IL)-6 receptor (sIL-6R) and IL-6R expression on CD4+ T cells (CD4+ IL-6R+ T cells) in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and thirty-three subjects, including 72 CHB patients, 27 asymptomatic carriers, eight acute hepatitis B (AHB) patients, and 26 healthy donors were included in this study. Plasma IL-6 and sIL-6R levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); the frequency of CD4+ IL-6R+ T cells was detected by flow cytometry analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our data showed a significant increase in plasma sIL-6R levels and the frequency of CD4+ IL-6R+ T cells in peripheral blood in CHB patients compared to asymptomatic carriers and healthy controls (both p<0.05). The elevated prevalence of CD4+ IL-6R+ T cells was positively associated with increased serum alanine aminotransferase levels in CHB patients (r = 0.316, p = 0.007), but was not correlated with serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA load. Moreover, CHB patients with an HBV DNA load >1.0 × 10(6) copies/ml had a lower level of plasma sIL-6R than those with an HBV DNA load <1.0 × 10(6) copies/ml.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Circulating sIL-6R and CD4+ IL-6R+ T cells were increased in CHB patients. Elevated plasma sIL-6R is probably associated with HBV elimination, and CD4+ IL-6R+ T cells in peripheral blood might contribute to the pathogenesis of liver injury in CHB patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun-Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Simin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Mingxia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Xinchun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Boping
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood*; D012995:Solubility; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6