Abstract：ObjectiveTo explore the immune status of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and its advanced liver diseases by examining biomarkers in peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subsets, and to evaluate the changes and clinical significance of the biomarkers. Methods Thirty-seven patients with CHB, 35 patients with hepatitis B-associated liver cirrhosis (LC), 32 patients with hepatitis B-associated hepatocellular cancer (HCC) and 38 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled in this study. Flow cytometry was used to detect the percentages of CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, CD4+ /CD8+, TH1 and TH2 cells in peripheral blood of all subjects.The cytokines of TH1 group(IFN-γ), TH2 group (IL-4) and TH17 group (IL-17) were quantitated by ELISA so as to evaluate the functions of TH1, TH2, and TH17 immune T cells, respectively. Results The percentages of CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, and CD4+/CD8+ in the groups of CHB, LC and HCC were all lower than those of the control group, with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). The percentages of TH1 (CD4+IFN-γ+) of the groups of CHB, LC and HCC were significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.05), while the percentages of TH2 (CD4+IL4+) of the groups of CHB, LC and HCC were all higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). The serum levels of cytokines IL-4 and IL17 were significantly higher in the groups of CHB, LC and HCC than in the control group (P<0.05), while the serum level of IFN-γ was lower in the groups of CHB, LC and HCC than in the control group (P<0.05). There was a significant correlation between the duration of CHB illness and T-lymphocyte subsets, cytokines (both P<0.05). Conclusions There exist variations of biomarkers in peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subsets of patients with CHB, hepatitis B-associatedLC and hepatitis B-associatedHCC, and the findings indicate that these patients all have an immune disorder. Therefore, monitoring immune functions and adjusting immune disorder play important roles in guiding clinical practice.
2016, Vol. 23 
