Objective: We studied the function of dendritic cells subsets and the cytokines levels in plasma in patients with different periods of returning (immune tolerance, hepatitis active and non-replicating period) and aimed to explore the possible reasons for HBV chronic infection.
Methods: Thirty HBV infected patients in different stages of infection were enrolled and divided into three groups: the immune tolerance group (10 cases), the hepatitis active group (10 cases), and the non-replicating group (10 cases). Ten healthy people were enrolled and served as controls. Blood from the patients and controls were collected and the dendritic cells subsets function (The cytokine levels in different groups) were analyzed using statistical method.
Results: The total IL-12 output and single nucleus IL-12 output of the total HBV infected patients were lower than that of the healthy control group (P value less than 0.01). The total IFNa output and single nucleus IFNa output of the total HBV infected patients had no significant difference between the total HBV infected patients and the healthy controls (P value more than 0.05). The total IL-12 output of the healthy control group was higher than that in others 3 groups of the HBV infected patients. (Z = -3.039, -2.967 ,-2.949, P value less than 0.01) and the single nucleus IL-12 output of the healthy control group was also higher than that in others 3 groups of the HBV infected patients. (Z =-3.027, -2.671 , -2.863, P value less than 0.01) . The total IFNa output and the single nucleus IFNa output of the healthy control group was higher than that in the hepatitis active group of HBV infected patients (Z = -3.016, -3.176, P value less than 0.01). While the plasma IFNa cytokine levels in the 3 HBV infection groups were higher than in the healthy control group (Z = -2.967, -2.896, -3.054, P value less than 0.01).
Conclusion: Difference existed between the function of dendritic cells subsets and the IFNa levels in different returning periods of HBV infected patients. The function of dendritic cells subsets has no significant difference in HBV patients with different periods of returning. The flawed function of dendritic cells subsets and the abnormal IFNa level may be one of the reasons for chronic HBV infection.