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

• Published in: Zhonghua shi yan he lin chuang bing du xue za ji Vol. 19; no. 4; p. 387
• Main Authors: Wang, Min, Zhang, Ling-xia, Luo, Sheng-qiang, Xu, Dong-ping, Zhu, Chuan-lin, Tang, Zi-rong, Wang, Fu-sheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Chinese
• Published: China 01.12.2005
• Subjects: Adult; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; DNA, Viral - blood; DNA, Viral - genetics; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - methods; Female; Hepatitis B Core Antigens - immunology; Hepatitis B virus - drug effects; Hepatitis B virus - genetics; Hepatitis B virus - immunology; Hepatitis B, Chronic - blood; Hepatitis B, Chronic - drug therapy; Hepatitis B, Chronic - virology; Humans; Lamivudine - therapeutic use; Male; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer - cytology; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer - drug effects; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer - immunology
• ISSN: 1003-9279

To 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. The 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. The 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. HBV specific T helper cell response at the time of hepatitis flare in chronic hepatitis B patients was signif