Role of activation-induced cell death in pathogenesis of patients with chronic hepatitis B

AIM: To study and compare the difference of activation-induced cell death (AICD) in peripheral blood T-lymphocytes (PBL-Ts) from patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and the normal people in vitro, and to explore the role of AICD in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and the pathogenesis of CHB. METHODS: Twenty-five patients and fourteen healthy people were selected for isolation of PBL-Ts. During cultivation, anti-CD3 mAb, PMA and ionomycin were used for AICD of PBL-Ts. AICD ratio of PBL-Ts was detected with TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling and assessed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: When induced with anti-CD3, PMA and ionomycin in vitro, AICD ratio of PBL-Ts from CHB patients was significantly higher than that from healthy control (17.24 ± 1.21 vs. 6.63 ± 1.00, P 0.05). CONCLUSION: When induced during cultivation in vitro, PBL-Ts from CHB have AICD very commonly. This phenomenon has a potentially important relation with pathogenesis of CHB and chronicity of HBV infection.