title: [The characteristics of immunocompetent cells in peripheral blood on prophase of severe hepatitis B].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the characteristics of immunocompetent cells in peripheral blood on prophase of severe hepatitis B (PSHB).
  
  
  METHODS
  48 cases of PSHB patients, 35 cases of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and 20 cases of healthy volunteers were enrolled for detection of CD3+, CD3+/ CD4+, CD3+/CD8+ and CD4+/CD25+/CD45+ lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood by flow cytometry. The absolute numbers of each lymphocyte subset were calculated and analyzed statistically. Results Compared with CHB group and healthy control group, The absolute numbers of circulating CD3+, CD8+ T cells and CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) were significantly lower in PSHB group( P < 0. 01 or P < 0.05). There was no significant difference on the absolute numbers of circulating CD4+ T cells between PSHB group and CHB group (P > 9.05), while the percentage of lymphocyte subsets CD4+ in PSHB group was significantly higher than that in CHB group (P < 0.05). In addition, CD4+/CD8+ ratio in PSHB were significantly higher than those in the CHB group and healthy control group (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PSHB has a certain degree of cellular immune dysfunction, which characterized by CD4+ T cells dominated and the decline of absolute numbers of CD8+ T cells and CD4+ CD25+ Tregs.
authors.affiliation: Department of infectious Diseases, Jiangyin Hospital, Affiliated to Southeast University, Jiangyin 214400, China. hunterdoctor@yahoo.cn
authors.forename: Guo-Jiong
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Chun-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Ting-Ting
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult