title: Changes in peripheral blood natural killer T cells in hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B patients and efficacy prediction after pegylated interferon therapy.
abstract: We examined the expression of peripheral blood natural killer T (NKT) cells in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and predicted its efficacy after pegylated interferon α-2a (Peg-INFα-2a) therapy. Sixty-three cases of HbeAg-positive CHB inpatients and outpatients, treated in the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January to December 2010, were administrated Peg-INFα-2a 18 myriad international unit intramuscularly once per week for 48 weeks. The number of peripheral NKT cells, 5 quantitative indicators of hepatitis B, and hepatitis B virus DNA capacity were detected at each time point. Forty-eight weeks after Peg-INFα-2a treatment, 26 HBeAg-positive CHB patients exhibited significant effects, 21 cases exhibited effects, and 16 cases showed no effects. The ratio of peripheral blood NKT cells in T lymphocytes before and 4, 8, and 12 weeks after treatment in the significant effect group was significantly increased compared to the effect group and no effect group (P < 0.01); at the 48th week of treatment and 24 weeks after the drug was withdrawn, NKT cell expression in the significant effect group was significantly higher than that in the effect group (t = 32.0, P < 0.01; t = 27.6, P < 0.01, respectively). A total of 27 patients showed HBeAg seroconversion until the 24th week after drug withdrawal. During treatment with Peg-INFα-2a in HBeAg-positive CHB patients, expression of peripheral blood NKT cells could be used to predict efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection, Xiangya Hospital of Central-South University, Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis, Hunan Province, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection, Xiangya Hospital of Central-South University, Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis, Hunan Province, Changsha, China menghoulu@126.com.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central-South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Radiology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Z P
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Xiong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055611:Natural Killer T-Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a