Interleukin-17–Producing Cd4+ T Cells Increase With Severity of Liver Damage in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B

• DOI: 10.1002/hep.23273
• Publication Date: 2009-09-09T14:16:10Z
• Authors: Ji-Yuan Zhang; Zheng Zhang; Fang Lin; Zheng-Sheng Zou; Ruo-Nan Xu; Lei Jin; Jun-Liang Fu; Feng Shi; Ming Shi; Hui-Fen Wang; Fu-Sheng Wang
• Keywords: Proinflammatory cytokine; Hepatitis B; Chronic liver disease; Liver disease

Interleukin-17 (IL-17)-producing CD4(+) T cells (Th17)-mediated immune response has been demonstrated to play a critical role in inflammation-associated disease; however, its chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains unknown. Here we characterized peripheral and intrahepatic Th17 analyzed their association with liver injury cohort of HBV-infected patients including 66 (CHB), 23 HBV-associated acute-on-chronic failure (ACLF), 30 healthy subjects as controls. The frequency circulating increased disease progression from CHB (mean, 4.34%) ACLF 5.62%) versus controls 2.42%). were also found be largely accumulated the livers patients. increases positively correlated plasma viral load, serum alanine aminotransferase levels, histological activity index. In vitro, IL-17 can promote activation myeloid dendritic monocytes enhance capacity produce proinflammatory cytokines IL-1beta, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, IL-23 both subjects. addition, concentration Th17-associated was patients.Th17 are highly enriched blood patients, exhibit potential exacerbate damage during HBV infection.