Differential gene expression, irrespective of circulating Hepatitis B Surface Antigen levels, between Inactive Carrier and Nucleos(t)ide Analogue-Treated Hepatitis B Virus patients

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 225; no. 8; pp. 1471 - 1476
• Main Authors: Montanari, Noé R, Conceição-Neto, Nádia, Van Den Wyngaert, Ilse, Van Oord, Gertine W, Groothuismink, Zwier M A, Van Tilburg, Sandra, de Man, Robert A, Aerssens, Jeroen, Boonstra, André
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: US Oxford University Press 19.04.2022
• Subjects: Antigens; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Antiviral drugs; CD8 antigen; Dendritic cells; DNA, Viral - genetics; Gene Expression; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B e Antigens; Hepatitis B surface antigen; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens - genetics; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B, Chronic; Humans; Lymphocytes T; Major and Brief Reports; Monocytes; Nucleosides - pharmacology; Nucleosides - therapeutic use; Viremia; Viremia - drug therapy; blood leukocytes; inactive carriers; HBsAg; chronic HBV; transcriptome; antiviral
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa614

Abstract Long-term viremia control in chronic HBV patients occurs either spontaneously in inactive carrier (IC) patients or therapy-induced by nucleos(t)ide analogues (NUC). To better understand the characteristics of viremia control, we evaluated gene expression in purified leukocyte subsets from IC versus NUC-treated patients, and evaluated the putative modulatory effects of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). We observed that gene expression in NUC-treated patients differed markedly from IC patients, especially in dendritic cells, monocytes, and CD8+ T cells, while serum HBsAg levels had little effect. Nevertheless, based on our findings it cannot be excluded that HBsAg may act locally in the infected liver or preferentially affects HBV-specific cells.