Association of CD4 super(+)CD25 super(+)Foxp3 super(+) regulatory T cells with chronic activity and viral clearance in patients with hepatitis B

Chronic activity of hepatitis B is thought to involve aberrant immune tolerance of unknown mechanism. In this study, we examined the role of CD4 super(+)CD25 super(+)Foxp3 super(+) regulatory T cells in disease activity and viral clearance in hepatitis B. Patients with chronic active hepatitis B (CA...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	International immunology 2007-02, Vol.19 (2), p.133-140
Main Authors:	Yang, Guilin, Liu, Ailian, Xie, Qing, Guo, Taylor B, Wan, Bing, Zhou, Boping, Zhang, Jingwu Z
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Hepatitis B virus
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Summary:	Chronic activity of hepatitis B is thought to involve aberrant immune tolerance of unknown mechanism. In this study, we examined the role of CD4 super(+)CD25 super(+)Foxp3 super(+) regulatory T cells in disease activity and viral clearance in hepatitis B. Patients with chronic active hepatitis B (CAH) and asymptomatic HBV carriers (AsC) exhibited a significantly high frequency of CD4 super(+)CD25 super(+)Foxp3 super(+) T cells as opposed to that of controls and resolved HBV infection. These CD4 super(+)CD25 super(+) T cells expressed an elevated level of Foxp3 and displayed increased inhibitory activity towards both CD4 super(+)CD25 super(-) and CD8 super(+) effector cells. They were found to accumulate in liver biopsy tissue of CAH patients as opposed to controls. The frequency of CD4 super(+)CD25 super(+)Foxp3 super(+) T cells correlated positively with hepatitis B envelope (HBe) antigen status and serum HBV DNA copy numbers and had a converse relationship with HBe antibody status in patients with CAH and AsC. It was evident that in these patients, the increased frequency of CD4 super(+)CD25 super(+)Foxp3 super(+) T cells was associated with serum levels of transforming growth factor-{szligbeta} known to promote peripheral conversion of CD4 super(+)CD25 super(-) T cells to CD4 super(+)CD25 super(+)Foxp3 super(+) regulatory T cells. The findings provide new insights into the role of CD4 super(+)CD25 super(+)Foxp3 super(+) regulatory T cells in chronic activity and viral clearance in chronic hepatitis B.
ISSN:	0953-8178 1460-2377