title: [Determination of circulating HBV specific CD8+ T cells in hepatitis B patients by flow cytometry and its clinical significance].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the levels of circulating HBV specific CD8+ T cells in hepatitis B patients and analysis its clinical significance.
  
  
  METHODS
  HBV specific CD8+ T cells in whole blood samples of twenty-five acute hepatitis B patients, thirty-five chronic hepatitis B patients and ten healthy control were stained with pentamers complex of HLA-A2 and HBV core 18-27 peptide and counted by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The medians of HBV core 18-27 specific CD8+ T cells quantities among total CD8+ cells were 2.93% (1.12% -0.63%) in 12 HLA-A2+ acute hepatitis B patients and 0.75% (< 0.01% - 1.76%) in 16 HLA-A2+ chronic hepatitis B patients respectively. There was showed a marked significant between the two groups (P < 0.01). The medians of HBV core 18-27 specific CD8+ T cells of 10 HLA-A2+ healthy control, 13 HLA-A2- acute hepatitis B patients and 19 HLA-A2- chronic hepatitis B patients were all lower than 0.02% separately.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HLA-peptides pentamers staining flow cytometry is a direct ex vivo method to detect the levels of circulating HBV specific CD8+ T cells which may be play a crucial role in complete clearance of HBV and relates to clinical consequence in hepatitis B patients.
authors: The First People's Hospital of Kunshan, Jiangsu 215300, China. YYLGD313@126.com
authors: Yong-Liang
authors: YL
authors: Yao