title: The balance between intrahepatic IL-17(+) T cells and Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells plays an important role in HBV-related end-stage liver disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  IL-17(+) T helper cells and Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells are CD4(+) T helper cells with reciprocally regulated differentiation and function. Their frequency and function vary in patients with chronic hepatitis B. In this study, we investigated the balance between IL-17(+) T cells and Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells and illustrated their function in the aggravation of chronic hepatitis B (CHB).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-six patients with chronic HBV -related liver failure (CLF), thirty-one patients with acute on chronic HBV-related liver failure (ACLF) and twelve normal controls were enrolled in our study. The expressions of IL-17, Foxp3, CD4, CD8 and perforin in liver tissue were measured by immunochemistry for the evaluation of liver-infiltrating lymphocytes. The frequency of liver IL-17(+) T cells on liver inflammatory cells and their proportion in the total CD4(+) T cell population increased markedly in the ACLF group, while the frquency of Foxp3+ T cells and their proportion in the total CD4(+) T cell population did not show a significant difference in the two HBV infection groups. In addition, the ACLF group showed a dramatically higher IL-17(+) /Foxp3(+) ratio than the CLF group. CD4(+) T cells increased significantly in the liver of patients with ACLF, compared with those in the liver of patients with CLF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that intrahepatic IL-17(+) T cells play an important role in the development of chronic HBV and that the imbalance between IL-17(+) and Foxp3(+) T cells in the liver may lead to progression of the disease but the mechanism should be further explored.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Yinghua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Hongli
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Donglin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Ruitian
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Tianyan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hong'an
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Shulin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shumei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yingren
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D058625:End Stage Liver Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054353:Perforin / Q000378:metabolism; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D020381:Interleukin-17; D054353:Perforin