mIL-2R, T cell subsets and hepatitis C

Expression of T subsets and mIL-2R in peripheral blood of newborns with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy

BACKGROUND

Infantile and undifferentiated immune cells in the pathogenesis of neonates with HIE have been studied in recent years. This study was undertaken to observe the expression level of T subsets and membrane interleukin-2 receptor (mIL-2R) in the peripheral blood of newborns with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and its clinical manifestations.

METHODS

The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of newborns with HIE and normal controls were isolated by the routine Ficoll-Hypaque method, and the rates of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+ and mIL-2R induced and not induced by phytohemagglutinin (PHA) were detected by biotin-streptavidin (BSA) at the first, third and seventh day after birth.

RESULTS

At the first day after birth, the positive rates of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+ and mIL-2R induced and not induced by PHA were (37.4+/-6.7)%, (29.4+/-6.9)%, (16.7+/-3.3)%, 1.8+/-0.5, (3.6+/-1.1)% and (20.9+/-4.8)%, respectively. Significant differences were observed between the HIE group and the normal controls (P<0.01-P<0.05). At the third day after birth, the positive rates of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD*+ and mIL-2R induced and not induced by PHA were (41.0+/-7.4)%, (35.8+/-6.9)%, (22.6+/-4.5)%, (1.7+/-0.5), (3.9+/-1.2)%, and (22.8+/-5.1)%, respectively. There were significant differences between the HIE group and the normal controls (P<0.05). At the seventh day after birth, the positive rates of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ were (41.8+/-6.1)%, (36.4+/-5.1)% and (25.6+/-4.3)%, respectively. There was significant difference between the HIE group and the normal controls (P<0.05). The ratio of CD4+/CD8+ and the expression level of mIL-2R induced and not induced by PHA were 1.5+/-0.3, (4.1+/-1.2)% and (23.8+/-5.2)%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the HIE group and the normal controls (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of newborns are immature and undifferentiated with a very low expression level of surface markers. The changes of cell immunity involve in the pathogenesis of HIE. The disorder of cellular immune function exists in newborns with HIE. Cell immunity and immune regulative response in newborns are gradually improved or mature during the period of growing, facilitating the recovery from brain injury caused by HIE.

Effect of thymosin-α1 on immune function with chronic hepatitis B

AIM

To realize effect of thymosin-α1 (Tα1) on immune function with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and to evaluate the efficacy of Tα1 in the treatment of CHB.

METHODS

Sixty patients with CHB were randomly chosen. Twenty-five cases were received Tα1 (1.6 mg, sc, twice a week, 3-6mo) and thirty-five were received Tα1 combined with Lamivudine (0.1 g, po, once a day, 3-6 mo). Hepatic function, virological analyses (HBeAg, HBsAg, HBV-DNA) and immunological analyses (periperal blood T lymphocytes subset, IFN-α and IL-4 levels) from patients in pretreatment and posttreatment were observed.

RESULTS

At the end of treatment, ALT and T-Bil were decreased in the group of Tα1 combined with Lamivudine (P<0.01), HBeAg/HBsAg remained negative (n = 9) and HBV-DNA levels were also low (n = 14) in the group of Tα1 combined with Lamivudine (P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively) as compared with healthy individuals. CD₄⁺ T Cell (from 31.3±2.4 to 36.1±2.5), the level of IFN-α(from 71.3±21.0 to 83.7±21.4) and Th1/Th2 (from 0.79±0.2 to 0.98±0.3) increased in the group of Tα1 (P<0.01, P<0.05 and P<0.05, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Tα1 is efficient to treat patients with CHB because it can elevate the level of cellular immunity, which is beneficial to viral clearance.

Effect of alpha 2b interferon on inducement of mIL-2R and treatment of HCV in PBMC from patients with chronic viral hepatitis C

AIM: To study the level of membrane interleukin-2 receptor (mIL-2R) on surface of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and the therapeutic efficacy of alpha 2b interferon on the treatment of HCV-RNA in PBMC of patients with chronic hepatitis C and to compare the negative rates of HCV-RNA in PBMC, HCV-RNA and anti-HCV in serum.

METHODS: Before and after treatment of alpha 2b interferon, the level of mIL-2R of patients with chronic hepatitis C was detected by biotin-streptavidin (BSA). The therapeutic group (26 cases) was treated with alpha 2b interferon (3 MU/d) and control therapeutic group (22 cases) was treated with routine drugs (VitC, aspartic acid). The total course of treatment with alpha 2b interferon and routine drug was six months and per course of the treatment was three months. The levels of HCV-RNA in PBMC, HCV-RNA and anti-HCV in serum were detected before and after a course of the treatment.

RESULTS: Before and after treatment of alpha 2b interferon and routine drugs, the levels of mIL-2R in silence stage were (3.44 ± 0.77)% and (2.95 ± 0.72)%, the levels of mIL-2R in inducement stage were (33.62 ± 3.95)% and (30.04 ± 3.73)%. There was a significant difference between two groups (P < 0.01-P < 0.05). After treatment of alpha 2b interferon with 3 MU/d for two courses of the treatment, the total negative rates of HCV-RNA in the PBMC and HCV-RNA, anti-HCV in serum were 42.31% (11/26), 57.69% (15/26), 65.38%(17/26) respectively. After the treatment of routine drug, the negative rates of HCV-RNA in PBMC and HCV-RNA, anti-HCV in serum were 13.64% (3/22), 22.73% (5/22), 27.27% (6/22) respectively. There was high significant difference in the group treated with alpha 2b interferon and the group treated with routine drugs (P < 0.01-P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: The mIL-2R can be induced by alpha 2b interferon during the treatment. The alpha 2b interferon has a definite effect on the treatment of HCV-RNA in PBMC. The curative effect of alpha 2b interferon is better than that of the routine drugs.

Investigation of HGV and TTV infection in sera and saliva from non-hepatitis patients with oral diseases

AIM: To determine the frequencies of HGV and TTV infections in serum and saliva samples of non-hepatitis patients with oral diseases in Hangzhou area, and to understand the correlation between detected results of HGV RNA and/or TTV DNA in sera and in saliva from the same patients.

METHODS: RT-nested PCR for HGV RNA detection and semi-nested PCR for TTV DNA detection were performed in the serum and saliva samples from 226 non-hepatitis patients with oral diseases, and nucleotide sequence analysis.

RESULTS: Twenty-seven (11.9%) and 21 (9.3%) of the 226 serum samples were only positive for HGV RNA and TTV DNA, respectively. 10 (4.4%) and 9 (3.9%) of the 226 saliva samples were only positive for HGV RNA and TTV DNA, respectively. And 7 (3.1%) of the serum samples and 2 (0.9%) of the saliva samples showed the positive amplification results for both HGV RNA and TTV DNA. 12 saliva samples from the 34 patients (35.3%) with HGV or HGV/TTV viremia and 11 saliva samples from the 28 patients (39.3%) with TTV or HGV/TTV viremia were HGV RNA detectable, respectively, including two patients positive for both HGV RNA and TTV DNA in serum and saliva samples. No saliva samples from the 226 patients were found to be HGV RNA or TTV DNA detectable while their serum samples were negative for HGV or TTV. Homologies of the nucleotide sequences of HGV and TTV amplification products from the serum and saliva samples of the two patients compared with the reported sequences were 88.65%-91.49% and 65.32%-66.67%, respectively. In comparison with the nucleotide sequences of amplification products between serum and from saliva sample from any one of the two patients, the homologies were 98.58% and 99.29% for HGV, and were 98.65% and 98.20% for TTV, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Relatively high carrying rates of HGV and/or TTV in the sera of non-hepatitis patients with oral diseases in Hangzhou area are demonstrated. Parts of the carriers are HGV and/or TTV positive in their saliva. The results of this study indicate that dentists may be one of the populations with high risk for HGV and/or TTV infection, and by way of saliva HGV and TTV may be transmitted among individuals.