title: CD8+ T cell responses specific for hepatitis B virus core protein in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection includes a set of heterogeneous clinical patterns, and core-protein-specific T cell response is important for virus control and disease progression, yet is not well elucidated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the phenotypic and functional profiles of HBV-core-protein-specific CD8+ T cells in different clinical patterns of chronic HBV infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 46 HBV patients were recruited and classified according to their clinical status. CD8+ T cell responses in different patterns of chronic HBV infections were tested with flow cytometry using overlapping 15-mer peptides covering HBV core protein. Meanwhile, the CCR7/CD27 phenotypes of these CD8+ T cells were also determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Frequencies of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) positive CD8+ T cells in inactive HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers in response to the core protein peptide pools were generally stronger than those of chronic HBV carriers and resolved individuals, especially with regards to peptide pool C13-C24. Moreover, phenotypic studies further highlighted the group of CD8+ CCR7-CD27+ T memory cells, which showed significantly higher levels of IFN-γ secretion in inactive HBsAg carriers than those in chronic hepatitis B patients, chronic HBV carriers and resolved individuals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Core-protein-specific T cell response plays an important role in chronic HBV infection. Inactive HBsAg carriers showed a much stronger core-protein-specific cytotoxic T cell response than other types of chronically infected patients. CD8+ CCR7-CD27+ T memory lymphocytes may be crucial in the immune pathogenesis of chronic HBV infection.
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 1# Shuaifu Yuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100730, China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Cao
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 1# Shuaifu Yuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100730, China.
authors: Zhifeng
authors: Z
authors: Qiu
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 1# Shuaifu Yuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100730, China.
authors: Ting
authors: T
authors: Zhu
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 1# Shuaifu Yuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100730, China.
authors: Yanling
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 1# Shuaifu Yuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100730, China.
authors: Yang
authors: Y
authors: Han
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 1# Shuaifu Yuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100730, China. Electronic address: litsh@263.net.
authors: Taisheng
authors: T
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054400:Receptors, CCR7 / Q000032:analysis; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7 / Q000032:analysis; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: C515370:CCR7 protein, human; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D054400:Receptors, CCR7; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C534392:p22 core protein, hepatitis B virus; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: CCR7–CD27+ T memory cell; HBV core protein; Inactive HBsAg carrier; Specific T cell response