title: Effects of antiviral therapy with Telbivudine on peripheral iNKT cells in HBeAg(+) chronic hepatitis B patients.
abstract: iNKT cells are relatively abundant in the liver, which suggests that they may play important roles in the clearance of invading foreign pathogens such as hepatitis B virus. In this study, we investigated the frequencies, functions and PD-1 expression of peripheral iNKT cells from HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients during antiviral treatment with Telbivudine. Results demonstrated that as compared with the healthy donors, the peripheral iNKT cells from these patients existed at lower frequencies, displayed impaired capabilities to produce IFN-γ and expressed higher PD-1. Antiviral treatment with Telbivudine significantly increased IFN-γ production by iNKT cells, which may be associated with the decreased PD-1 expression as manifested by blocking experiments. Our study suggested that iNKT cells played an important role in the chronicity of HBV infection and antiviral therapy with Telbivudine could restore at least in part the impaired host immune response in the HBeAg-positive CHB patients.
authors: Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Institute of Viral Hepatitis, Chongqing Medical University the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing, China. shitongdong@cqmu.edu.cn
authors: T D
authors: TD
authors: Shi
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Zhang
authors: X F
authors: XF
authors: Wang
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Chen
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Sun
authors: C B
authors: CB
authors: Chen
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Ren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055611:Natural Killer T-Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D009705:Nucleosides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011744:Pyrimidinones / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000077712:Telbivudine; D013936:Thymidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D009705:Nucleosides; C105992:PDCD1 protein, human; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor; D011744:Pyrimidinones; D000077712:Telbivudine; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D013936:Thymidine