title: HBcAg-specific IL-21-producing CD4+ T cells are associated with relative viral control in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: Function exhaustion of specific cytotoxic CD8+ T cell in chronic virus infection partly results from the low levels of CD4 help, but the mechanisms by which CD4 help T cell required to control hepatitis B virus infection are not well understood. In this study, we investigated the role of interleukin-21-producing CD4+ T cell response in viral control of hepatitis B virus infection. HBcAg-specific interleukin-21-producing CD4+ T cells in blood were detected in patients with hepatitis B virus infection. Patients with acute hepatitis B had greater HBcAg-specific interleukin-21-producing CD4+ T cells in blood compared with chronic hepatitis B patients, and there was no statistical significance between immune active chronic hepatitis B patients and inactive healthy carrier patients for these cells, whereas frequencies of these cells negatively correlated with HBV DNA levels but positively correlated with HBc18-27-specific IFN-γ-producing CD8+ T cells. Moreover, interleukin-21 sustained HBc18-27-specific CD8+ T cells in vitro, and interleukin-21 production by HBcAg-specific IL-21-producing CD4+ T cells of acute hepatitis B patients enhanced IFN-γ and perforin expression by CD8+ T cells from chronic hepatitis B patients. Our results demonstrate that HBcAg-specific interleukin-21-producing CD4+ T cell responses might contribute to viral control by sustaining CD8+ T cell antiviral function.
authors: Department of Infectious Disease, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, China.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Li
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Liu
authors: L-W
authors: LW
authors: Cheng
authors: X-Y
authors: XY
authors: Gao
authors: J-J
authors: JJ
authors: Fu
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Kong
authors: X
authors: X
authors: Feng
authors: X-C
authors: XC
authors: Pan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007378:Interleukins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D054353:Perforin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000098546:Interleukin-21
chemical_list: D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D007378:Interleukins; D054353:Perforin; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D000098546:Interleukin-21