Decreased numbers and impaired function of circulating dendritic cell subsets in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection (R2).

J Gastroenterol Hepatol

Research Center of Biological Therapy, Beijing Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing 302 Hospital of PLA, 100 Xi Si Huan Zhong Road, Beijing 100-039, China.

Published: February 2005

AI Article Synopsis

  • - The study aimed to analyze the types and functions of circulating dendritic cell (DC) subsets, specifically pDC1 and pDC2, in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) at different stages of infection.
  • - Researchers found that pDC1 numbers only decreased in patients with liver cirrhosis, while pDC2 numbers decreased in both chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and cirrhosis patients; furthermore, costimulatory molecule expression and interferon-alpha production were impaired in these patients.
  • - The results indicate that chronic HBV infection leads to a significant reduction in the functionality of pDC1 and pDC2, suggesting these changes may contribute to the progression of the disease in affected individuals

Article Abstract

Background And Aim: To investigate the frequencies, numbers and function of circulating dendritic cell (DC) subsets in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, we assayed the circulating precursor DC subsets (including pDC1 and pDC2) and their ability in patients at various stages of HBV infection in vitro.

Methods: Circulating pDC1 and pDC2 frequencies in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were analyzed by flow cytometric analysis. Costimulatory molecule expression and allostimulatory mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR) of DC1, cultured from PBMC in vitro, were detected in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). On behalf of pDC2, interferon (IFN)-alpha production of PBMC was determined by the ELISA method in HBV-infected patients.

Results: The number of circulating pDC1 decreased only in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) compared with that in normal controls. However, pDC2 numbers decreased in both CHB and LC patients. DC1 from CHB patients showed lower expression of costimulatory molecules CD80, CD86 and impaired allostimulatory mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR) compared with those in normal controls. The ability of PBMC to secrete IFN-alpha also decreased significantly in patients with chronic HBV infection.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that patients with chronic HBV infection have a significantly lower expression of costimulatory molecules and impaired AMLR of pDC1, as well as decreased number and impaired function of circulating pDC2, which may be partially related to HBV disease progression in these patients.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1746.2004.03529.xDOI Listing

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