CD8low T-cell subpopulation is increased in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.
Recent studies suggest that CD8(+) T cells with down-regulated CD8 expression (CD3(+)CD8(low) T cells) represented as a distinct phenotype of CD8(+) T cells are increased and linked to disease severity in some chronically persistent infection, such as chronic HIV and parasite infection. However, the role of CD3(+)CD8(low) T cells in the context of chronic HBV infection is poorly understood. In this study, peripheral blood samples of 47 chronic hepatitis B patients and 19 healthy controls were collected and tested for the frequency and phenotype of CD8(low) T cells. The circulating CD8(low) T cells were significantly more frequent in the patients compared to those in healthy controls, and the CD8(low) T cells in the patients expressed less IFN-γ and more mTGF-β1 than those in the controls, suggesting their type-2 polarized and suppressive properties. Meanwhile, the concentrations of plasma soluble HLA class I molecules were found elevated in the patients, and positively associated with the frequencies of CD8(low) T cells. Furthermore, the CD8(low) T-cell frequency in the HLA-A2-positive patients (n=21) was found negatively correlated with the T-cell responsiveness against the HBc₁₈₋₂₇ peptide, the latter was impaired as revealed by IFN-γ Elispot assay. Our findings suggested that a better understanding of the involvement of CD8(low) T cells in chronically persistent HBV infection would add to our knowledge of the impaired T-cell response in the patients.
Department of Immunology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Lichen
L
Ouyang
Xiaoyi
X
Li
Zhihui
Z
Liang
Daofeng
D
Yang
Feili
F
Gong
Guanxin
G
Shen
Xiufang
X
Weng
Xiongwen
X
Wu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
D017252:CD3 Complex; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D007371:Interferon-gamma
CD8(low) T subpopulation; Chronic hepatitis B virus infection; HBc(18–27)-specific CD8(+) T-cell response; Membrane-bound TGFβ1