慢性乙型肝炎患者肝组织及外周血单核细胞内IFN-α/β受体的表达及其临床意义

目的 慢性乙型肝炎患者肝组织的炎症程度是影响干扰素应答率的独立因素,本研究的目的 系从干扰素受体的角度来探讨其机制,此外了解外周血单核细胞干扰素受体与慢性乙型肝炎感染的关系.方法 采用链霉抗生物素蛋白-过氧化物酶连接法,检测15健康对照、16例慢性乙型肝炎患者外周血单核细胞及另外21例慢性乙型肝炎患者肝组织内的干扰素受体的表达并进行定量分析.结果 15例健康对照、16例慢性乙型肝炎患者外周血单核细胞干扰素受体的表达量分别为(21.4060±4.7658)、(23.8365±3.3329)(P=0.374);另外21例慢性乙型肝炎患者根据肝脏病理的炎症程度分为3组G1(5.6913±1.8422)、G2(7.4706±5.3572)、G3(25.1307±7.0700)(P=0.000).结论 慢性乙型肝炎患者肝组织内干扰素受体的表达量与肝组织的病理炎症程度相关,可能是其对干扰素应答率高的原因,而外周血单核细胞干扰素受体的表达与HBV感染无关.

Expression of IFN-α/β receptor in the PBMCs and liver of patients with hepatitis B and its clinical significance

OBJECTIVE: To explore the role of interferon (IFN)-alpha/beta receptor beta subunit (IFNAR2) in the patients' response to IFN-alpha therapy as influenced by the grade of chronic hepatic inflammation, and understand the relation of IFNAR2 expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with HBV infection. METHODS: Liver tissue specimens were obtained from 21 patients with chronic hepatitis B for examination of the hepatic inflammation, and PBMCs were isolated from another 16 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 15 health control subjects. Both the hepatic tissues and PBMCs were examined for IFNAR2 expression using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The 21 patients with chronic hepatitis B were divided into 3 groups according to the severity of hepatic inflammation, namely G(1) (n=3), G(2) (n=7) and G(3) (n=11) groups. The patients in G(3) group showed had significantly higher IFNAR2 expressions in liver (25.1307-/+7.0700) than those of the G(1) (5.6913-/+1.8422) and G(2) (7.4706-/+5.3572) groups (P=0.000). The IFNAR2 levels in the PBMCs, however, did not show significant difference between patients with chronic hepatitis B and the healthy control subjects. CONCLUSION: In patients with chronic hepatitis B, IFNAR2 expression level is positively correlated to the severity of hepatic inflammation, and increased IFNAR2 expression in severe hepatic inflammation is therefore likely to result in increased response rate to INF-alpha therapy. The expression of IFNAR2 in the PBMCs is not associated with HBV infection.