Background: Antiviral therapy is recommended for patients with immune-active chronic hepatitis B (CHB) to decrease the risk of liver-related complications. However, the outcomes of the pegylated IFN-α (PEG-IFN-α) therapy vary among CHB patients. We aimed to identify factors that can influence the outcomes in CHB patients who received antiviral PEG-IFN-α monotherapy.Methods: Thirty-two CHB patients who received PEG-IFN-α monotherapy were enrolled in this study. All of the patients underwent two liver biopsies at baseline and 6 months after the initiation of the therapy. CD8 + T cells, CD4 + T cells, CD68 + mononuclear cells, and PD-1 levels in the 64 liver biopsy specimens were examined via immunofluorescence.Results: The overall median frequency of CD8 + T cells in the liver tissues of 32 CHB patients significantly decreased at 6 months after the therapy initiation ( p < 0.01). In the FIER (fibrosis and inflammation response with HBeAg seroconversion) group, CD8 + PD-1 + T cells significantly decreased at 6 months ( p < 0.05), while CD8 + PD-1 - T cells had no significant difference. On the contrary, in the FIENR (no fibrosis and inflammation response and HBeAg seroconversion) group, CD8 + PD-1 - T cells significantly decreased after 6 months of PEG-IFN-α treatment ( p < 0.05), while CD8 + PD-1 + T cells had no significant difference. In addition, the levels of CD68 + mononuclear cells in the FIER group showed an overall increasing trend after treatment ( p < 0.05).Conclusions: The changes in the levels of CD8 + PD-1 + T cells and CD68 + mononuclear cells may be related to the response to PEG-IFN-α therapy.
Background and Aim Antiviral therapy for patients with immune-active chronic hepatitis B (CHB) should be adopted to decrease the risk of liver-related complications. While antiviral therapy outcomes of PEG-IFN-α vary in different CHB patients. We aimed to identify the factors influencing antiviral therapy outcomes in CHB patients who received PEG-IFN-α therapy.Methods Thirty-two CHB patients who received PEG-IFN-α therapy were enrolled in this study. All of the patients underwent two liver biopsies at baseline and 6 months later. CD8 + T cells, CD4 + T cells, CD68 + mononuclear cells, and PD-1 levels in 64 liver biopsy specimens were tested via immunofluorescence.Results CD8 + T cells in 32 CHB patients’ liver tissue significantly decreased after 6 months of PEG-IFN-α therapy (p<0.01). CD8 + PD1 + T cells significantly decreased after 6 months of PEG-IFN-α treatment in the FIER (fibrosis and inflammation response with HBeAg seroconversion) group (p<0.05), while CD8 + PD1 - T cells had no significant difference. However, in the FIENR (no fibrosis and inflammation response and HBeAg seroconversion) group, CD8 + PD1 - T cells significantly decreased after 6 months of PEG-IFN-α treatment (p<0.05), while CD8 + PD1 + T cells had no significant difference. CD68 + mononuclear cells at baseline were higher in the FIRENR (fibrosis and inflammation response without HBeAg seroconversion) group than the FIENR (no fibrosis and inflammation response and HBeAg seroconversion) group.Conclusions The reduction in CD8 + PD1 + T cells in liver tissue was critical for patients who responded to PEG-IFN-α therapy. High levels of CD68 + mononuclear cells at baseline might be associated with fibrosis and inflammation response to PEG-IFN-α therapy.
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