Abstract | BACKGROUND & AIMS: Nucleos(t)ide analogues ( NAs) can indirectly restore host immunity against hepatitis B virus (HBV) by inhibiting virus replication. We aimed to investigate whether telbivudine could prevent HBV-related fibrosis progression by their influence on CD4(+) T-cell response. METHODS: Thirty-six HBeAg-positive patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) were enrolled for 52-week telbivudine monotherapy and were followed at treatment week (TW)-0, 4, 12, 24 and 52. By TW-52, the patients were classified into a complete-response group (CR, n = 10) with both negative HBV- DNA and HBeAg, or a part-response group (PR, n = 11) only with negative DNA, or a non-response group (NR, n = 15) still with positive DNA. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were prepared for further flow cytometric and real-time PCR analyses, and also for the in vitro experiments with primary hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). RESULTS: Peripherally, all chronic HBV-infected subjects showed the involvement of CD4(+) T-cell responses, among whom the inactive carriers (IC) had Th1 (CD4(+) IFNγ(+) ) dominated, CHB had Th17 (CD4(+) IL-17(+) ) dominated, while the immune tolerant (IT) subjects had Treg (CD4(+) CD25(high) Foxp3(+) ) dominated. Besides, we found the therapeutic responses to telbivudine were especially associated with up-regulation of Th1 and Th17, and down-regulation of Treg. Furthermore, compared to CD4(+) cells from CR, those from NR could in vitro significantly exacerbate cell activation, proliferation and cytokine production of HSCs, which were partly mediated by IL-4 and TGF-β1. CONCLUSIONS:
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Authors | Jing Li, Minglei Jia, Yun Liu, Weimin She, Lei Li, Jiyao Wang, Wei Jiang |
Journal | Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver
(Liver Int)
Vol. 35
Issue 3
Pg. 834-45
(Mar 2015)
ISSN: 1478-3231 [Electronic] United States |
PMID | 24814578
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
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Copyright | © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. |
Chemical References |
- Antiviral Agents
- Cytokines
- DNA, Viral
- Hepatitis B e Antigens
- Transforming Growth Factor beta1
- Telbivudine
- Thymidine
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Topics |
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Antiviral Agents
(therapeutic use)
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes
(immunology)
- Case-Control Studies
- Cells, Cultured
- Coculture Techniques
- Cytokines
(blood)
- DNA, Viral
(blood)
- Down-Regulation
- Female
- Hepatic Stellate Cells
(immunology)
- Hepatitis B e Antigens
(blood)
- Hepatitis B, Chronic
(drug therapy)
- Humans
- Liver Cirrhosis
(prevention & control)
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Telbivudine
- Thymidine
(analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)
- Transforming Growth Factor beta1
(blood)
- Up-Regulation
- Young Adult
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