Hepatitis B Virus-Specific Cellular Immunity Contributes to the Outcome of Occult Hepatitis B Virus Infection

• Published in: Frontiers in microbiology Vol. 13; p. 850665
• Main Authors: Zhang, Weiyun, Luo, Shengxue, Li, Tingting, Wang, Min, Huang, Jieting, Liao, Qiao, Liu, Bochao, Rong, Xia, Li, Linhai, Allain, Jean-Pierre, Fu, Yongshui, Li, Chengyao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 07.04.2022
• Subjects: blood donor population; cellular immune response; core/pol peptides; HBV; HBV infection outcomes; immune cytokines; Microbiology; cellular immune response; blood donor population; immune cytokines; HBV; HBV infection outcomes; core/pol peptides
• ISSN: 1664-302X; 1664-302X
• DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.850665

There is little known of immunologic factors leading to the occurrence of occult HBV infection (OBI). Specific cellular immune response to hepatitis B virus (HBV) core/pol peptides was compared between blood donor populations, including 37 OBIs, 53 chronic HBV infections (CHB), 47 resolved infections, and 56 non-infected controls, respectively. The rate of CD4 /CD8 T cell proliferation in OBI or CHB carriers was higher than in HBV resolved and non-infected individuals ( < 0.05). The intensity of IFN-γ-secretion T-cell response of OBI carriers was highest, followed by CHB and resolved infections, and non-infected individuals ( < 0.05). The frequency of intracellular IFN-γ and IL-17A CD4 /CD8 and IL-21 CD4 T-cell responses was significantly higher in resolved infections than in OBI or CHB carriers ( < 0.05), while the level of extracellular IL-17A of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was higher in OBI and CHB carriers than in resolved infections ( < 0.01). The frequency of intracellular IL-10 CD4 T-cell response in CHB, OBI, and resolved infections was higher than in HBV non-infected individuals ( < 0.01). Intracellular IL-10 CD8 T cell and extracellular IL-10 T-cell responses were higher in CHB than in OBI ( = 0.012) or HBV resolved infections ( < 0.01). In conclusion, the higher level of effective T-cell response with IFN-γ, IL-17A, and IL-21 contributes to resolved infection outcome, while higher levels of suppressive T-cell response with IL-10 result in HBV chronicity. OBI is an intermediary status between HBV resolved and chronic infections, in which IL-21 effector and IL-10 suppressor T-cell responses play an important role in directing the outcome of HBV infection.