Expression of IL-10+CD19+ regulatory B cells in peripheral blood of patients with chronic hepatitis B infection

Abstract

Objective To investigate the population and role of IL-10+CD19+ regulatory B cell (Breg) in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Methods Patients with acute hepatitis B (AHB) (n=28), chronic hepatitis B (CHB) (n=31) and normal subjects (n=25) were collected from Changshu No.2 People′s Hospital between 2011 June and 2012 October. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated and stimulated with CpG ODN 2006 and PMA. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the population of IL-10+CD19+ Breg, CD4+CD25high Treg, and ELISA was used to analyze the concentration of IL-10 in culture supernatant. Results The population of Breg in Peripheral blood of the CHB group ［1.28%（1.05%-2.20%）］ was higher than that in the AHB group ［0.87%（0.55%-1.22%）］ and the HCs group ［0.89%（0.51%-1.37%）］ (P=0.001, 0.006), and the difference between the AHB group and the HCs group was not statistically significant (P=0.669). Breg in the CHB group ［14.30%（10.70%-16.70%）］ was higher than that in the AHB group ［10.30%（7.05%-13.30%）］ and the HCs group ［10.40%（6.85%-12.60%）］ (P=0.003, 0.001), treg in the CHB group ［5.80%（4.20%-9.10%）］ was also higher than that in the AHB group ［4.05%（2.53%-5.40%）］ and the HCs group ［4.50%（2.55%-5.50%）］ (P<0.001, P=0.005), and there was no significantly difference between the AHB group and the HCs group (Breg: P=0.796; Treg: P=0.227). Spearman correlation analysis showed that Breg was positively correlated with Treg in the CHB group (r=0.50, P=0.004), however there was no significantly correlation in the AHB group and the HCs group (r=-0.15, P=0.462; r=0.09, P=0.669). The concentration of IL-10 in the CHB group was higher than that in the AHB group and the HCs group (P<0.001), and the difference between the AHB group and the HCs group was not statistically significant (P=0.341). Spearman correlation analysis showed that IL-10 were positively correlated with the population of Breg in the CHB group (r=0.409, P=0.022). Conclusion The poluations of regulatory B cell and regulatory T cell increased in patients with chronic hepatitis B, and Breg cell might play the immune regulation role through secreting IL-10 in chronic HBV infection.（Chin J Lab Med,2014,37:100-104） Key words: Hepatitis B chronic; B-lymphocytes,regulatoy; T-lymphocytes, regulatory; Interleukin-10; Antigens, CD19