CD4+CD25+Foxp3+调节性T细胞在慢性乙型肝炎患者中的作用

目的 探讨CD4+CD25+Foxp3+调节性T细胞与乙型肝炎慢性化和病毒清除之间的关系.方法 收集慢性活动性乙型肝炎(CAH)患者19例、HBV携带者(AsC)21例、HBV感染恢复者12例和健康对照者15例.通过流式细胞术分析外周血CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T细胞的表型和频率,磁珠分选(MACS)CD4+CD25+T细胞,实时荧光定量PCR方法 分析Foxp3 mRNA基因在CD4+CD25+T细胞的表达水平.统计学处理采用单因素方差分析或非参数检验.结果CAH或AsC组外周血CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T细胞频率以及CD4+CD25+T细胞中Foxp3 mRNA的表达水平显著高于健康对照组或HBV感染恢复者(F=6.8,F=3.72,均P<0.05).免疫组织化学染色发现,CAH患者肝组织Foxp3'T细胞浸润累积较对照组明显增高,但AsC较CAH减少.HBeAg阳性患者(包括CAH和AsC)CD4'CD25'T细胞频率显著高于HBeAg阴性患者(t=2.3,P<0.05),抗-HBe阴性患者显著高于抗-HBe阳性患者(t=2.4,P<0.05).CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T细胞频率与慢性乙型肝炎患者血清中HBV病毒载量存在正相关(r=0.56,P<0.01).结论 慢性乙型肝炎患者CD4+CD25+Foxp3+调节性T细胞异常与乙型肝炎慢性化和病毒清除有关.

The role of CD4+CD25+Foxp3 regulatory T cells in patients with chronic hepatitis B

Objective To investigate the role of CD4+CD25+Foxp3 regulatory T cells in chronicity of hepatitis B and viral clearance of hepatitis B virus(HBV).Methods Nineteen patients with chronic active hepatitis B(CAH).21 HBV carriers(AsC)and 12 patients with resolved HBV infection and 1 5 healthy controls were enrolled.The frequency and phenotype of peripheral CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells were detected by flow cytometry.CD4+CD25+T cells were sorted by magnetic-activated cell sorting(MACS)assay.Level of Foxp3 mRNA in CD4+CD25+T cells was examined by real time polymerase chain reaction(PCR)assay.The data were analyzed by one-way ANoVA or nonparametric statistics.Results Both frequencies of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cells and levels of Foxp3 mRNA in CD4+CD25+T ceils in patients with CAH or AsC were significantly higher than those in healthy controls Or resolved HBV infection(F=6.8,F=3.72,respectively;both P<0.05).Accumulation of Foxp3+T cells in liver tissue of CAH patients was higher than that of healthy controls,while that in AsC was lower than CAH.The frequency of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cells of hepatitis B e antigen(HBeAg)positive patients(including CAH and AsC)was significantly higher than that of HBeAg negative patients(t=2.3,P<0.05),and that of antFHBe negative patients were significantly higher than anti-HBe positive patients(t=2.4,P<0.05).Furthermore,the frequency of CD4+CD25+Foxp3 regulatory T cells was positively correlated with serum HBV DNA level of patients with chronic hepatitis B(r=0.56,P<0.01).Conclusion The findings have important implication in the understanding of the role of CD4'CD25'regulatory T cells in chronicity and viral clearance in HBV infection.