Objective: To explore role of perforin/granzyme expression of peripheral blood lymphocyte in injury of hepatocyte in severe hepatitis B, and evaluate relationship between perforin/granzyme expression levels and hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA load.
Methods: Thirty eight patients of severe hepatitis B were enrolled in the study. Fasting venous blood was collected on following morning of admission. Twenty adult healthy subjects served as healthy control group. Perforin/granzyme expression of peripheral blood lymphocyte was detected by flow cytometry, and serum HBV-DNA load was detected by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Results: Positive rate of perforin/granzyme in peripheral blood lymphocyte in severe hepatitis B was higher than that of the healthy control group [perforin: (43.42+/-19.28)% vs. (19.65+/-9.27)%, granzyme: (40.35+/-12.26)% vs. (22.28+/-9.35)%, both P<0.01]. There was a significant negative correlation between the perforin/granzyme expression of peripheral blood lymphocyte and serum HBV-DNA load (r(perforin) =-0.92, r(granzyme) =-0.96, both P<0.01), the higher serum HBV-DNA load, the lower perforin/granzyme expression in severe hepatitis B.
Conclusion: Perforin/granzyme overexpression in peripheral blood lymphocyte is an important factor in injury of hepatocyte in patients with severe hepatitis B, and the expression may be involved in HBV-DNA cleanup.