Chinese Journal of Experimental and Clinical Virology 2005;19(4):387-390

Sequential analyses of circulating HBV specific T helper cell response in chronic hepatitis B patients receiving antiviral treatment.

Min WANG 1 ; Ling-xia ZHANG ; Sheng-qiang LUO ; Dong-ping XU ; Chuan-lin ZHU ; Zi-rong TANG ; Fu-sheng WANG

Affiliations

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Country

China

Language

Chinese

MeSH

Abstract

BACKGROUNDTo investigate the frequency of circulating HBV specific T helper cell and evaluate its association with serum levels of HBV DNA before and during lamivudine treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

METHODSThe frequency of circulating HBV specific T helper cells in response to HBcAg in 25 chronic HBV-infected patients was determined by Elispot assay; serum HBV DNA was quantitated by real-time PCR.

RESULTSThe frequency of HBV specific T helper cell before antiviral treatment (47.30 +/- 25.50 SFCs /1 x 10(6) PBMC) was significantly higher than that at the third month of therapy (23.10 +/- 18.45 SFCs /1 x 10(6) PBMC, P < 0.05). All 8 patients observed dynamically had decreased frequency of HBV specific T helper cell at the third month of therapy; six patients with serum HBV DNA level reduced had higher frequency of HBV specific T helper cell before treatment than 2 patients without serum HBV DNA level decrease.

CONCLUSIONHBV specific T helper cell response at the time of hepatitis flare in chronic hepatitis B patients was significantly augmented compared to that at the time of catabasis.