Hepatitis B Virus-Specific Cellular Immunity Contributes to the Outcome of Occult Hepatitis B Virus Infection

作者：Zhang, Weiyun; Luo, Shengxue; Li, Tingting; Wang, Min; Huang, Jieting; Liao, Qiao; Liu, Bochao; Rong, Xia; Li, Linhai; Allain, Jean-Pierre; Fu, Yongshui^*; Li, Chengyao^*

来源：Frontiers in Microbiology, 2022, 13: 850665.

DOI：10.3389/fmicb.2022.850665

• HBV
• core
• pol peptides
• cellular immune response
• immune cytokines
• HBV infection outcomes
• blood donor population

There is little known of immunologic factors leading to the occurrence of occult HBV infection (OBI). Specific cellular immune response to hepatitis B virus (HBV) core/pol peptides was compared between blood donor populations, including 37 OBIs, 53 chronic HBV infections (CHB), 47 resolved infections, and 56 non-infected controls, respectively. The rate of CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cell proliferation in OBI or CHB carriers was higher than in HBV resolved and non-infected individuals (P < 0.05). The intensity of IFN-gamma-secretion T-cell response of OBI carriers was highest, followed by CHB and resolved infections, and non-infected individuals (P < 0.05). The frequency of intracellular IFN-gamma and IL-17A CD4(+)/CD8(+) and IL-21 CD4(+) T-cell responses was significantly higher in resolved infections than in OBI or CHB carriers (P < 0.05), while the level of extracellular IL-17A of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was higher in OBI and CHB carriers than in resolved infections (P < 0.01). The frequency of intracellular IL-10 CD4(+) T-cell response in CHB, OBI, and resolved infections was higher than in HBV non-infected individuals (P < 0.01). Intracellular IL-10 CD8(+) T cell and extracellular IL-10 T-cell responses were higher in CHB than in OBI (P = 0.012) or HBV resolved infections (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the higher level of effective T-cell response with IFN-gamma, IL-17A, and IL-21 contributes to resolved infection outcome, while higher levels of suppressive T-cell response with IL-10 result in HBV chronicity. OBI is an intermediary status between HBV resolved and chronic infections, in which IL-21 effector and IL-10 suppressor T-cell responses play an important role in directing the outcome of HBV infection.

• 单位
  南方医科大学