Aim: To investigate the difference of CD4+ and CD8+ T subsets in different infection status of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.
Methods: 13 Healthy people were chosen as control group. According to infection status, 78 CHB patients were sorted into HBeAg(+) and normal liver function group, HBeAg(+) and abnormal liver function group, and HBeAg(-) group. The percentages of some subsets of CD4+T and CD8+T cells in CHB patients and healthy people were examined by Flow cytometer, and the correlations between the subsets of T cells and the HBVDNA levels and HBeAg were analyzed.
Results: As compared with control group, the percentages of CD4+CD25+/CD4+ and CD4+CD95+/CD4+ were increased (P<0.01, P<0.05) in HBeAg(+) and normal liver function group, and the percentages of CD8+CD28-/CD8+ in three patients groups were increased (P<0.01). As compared with the HBeAg(+) and normal liver function group, the percentages of CD4+CD25+/CD4+ in HBeAg(+) and abnormal liver function group, and HBeAg(-) group were decreased (P<0.01), and the percentages of CD8+CD95+/CD8+ in HBeAg(-) group and the percentages of CD8+CD95+/CD8 in HBeAg(+) and abnormal liver function group were decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). Moreover, there were positive correlations between CD4+CD25+/CD4+, CD4+CD95+/CD4+ and the HBVDNA levels(P<0.01); there were inverse correlations between CD4+CD28+/CD4+ and the HBVDNA levels and HBeAg (P<0.05, P<0.01); there were positive correlations between CD8+CD28-/CD8+ and HBVDNA and HBeAg (P<0.01).
Conclusion: Some T cell Subsets, including CD4+CD25+, CD4+CD95+ , and CD8+CD28-, are increased in CHB patients, which maybe play some roles in the immune tolerance of chronic HBV infection.