title: Decreased Expressions of STING but not IRF3 Molecules in Chronic HBV Infected Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) induces the activation of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) in response to intracellular viral double-stranded (ds) DNA. The aim of this study was to evaluate mRNA levels of STING and its downstream transcription factor, IRF3, in the isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with chronic HBV (CHB) infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was performed on 60 healthy controls and 60 CHB patients. The mRNA levels of STING and IRF3 were determined using Real-Time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. The SPSS software version 18 was used to analyze raw data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results revealed that mRNA levels of STING were significantly decreased in CHB patients in comparison to healthy controls (P = 0.013). Our results also revealed that expression levels of IRF3 were not different between CHB patients and healthy controls (P = 0.828).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present study, we found that CHB patients were unable to express appropriate levels of STING. Thus, it may result in impairment of HBV-DNA recognition and subsequently disruption of immune responses. These results suggest a plausible mechanism which may partially define the fact that immune responses are impaired in CHB patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karimi-Googheri
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Daneshvar
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khaleghinia
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Research center for Addiction and Behavioral Sciences, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bidaki
authors.affiliation: Immunology of Infectious Diseases Research Center, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kazemi Arababadi
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D050838:Interferon Regulatory Factor-3 / Q000235:genetics*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000099197:STING Protein
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D050838:Interferon Regulatory Factor-3; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C494232:IRF3 protein, human; C532857:STING1 protein, human; D000099197:STING Protein