Regulatory effect of gamma-chain cytokines on expression of TIM-3 on CD8+ T cells in patients with chronic hepatitis B

• Main Author: DONG Jie
• Format: Article
• Language: zho
• Published: Editorial Department of Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2015-02-01
• Series: Linchuang Gandanbing Zazhi
• Subjects: hepatitis B; chronic; interleukins; immunoglobulins; CD8-positive T-lymphocytes
• Online Access: http://www.lcgdbzz.org/qk_content.asp?id=6271&ClassID=11415121

ObjectiveTo measure the expression of T-cell immunoglobulin- and mucin domain-3-containing molecule 3 (TIM-3) on CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) among patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and to investigate the effect of common gamma-chain cytokines on the expression of TIM-3 on CD8+ T cells in these patients. MethodsFifteen previously untreated patients with CHB who visited the Department of Infectious Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, from January to May, 2014, as well as 8 healthy controls, were included in the study. Blood was collected from these subjects, and PBMCs were isolated from blood by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation. PBMCs were separately stimulated with gamma-chain cytokines, interleukin (IL)2, IL-7, IL-15, and IL-21, and anti-CD3/CD28, and the untreated cells were used as a negative control. After four days of culture, PBMCs were stained with monoclonal antibody. Flow cytometry was used to measure the expression of TIM-3 on CD8+ T cells. Comparison of continuous data was made by independent-samples t test. ResultsCompared with the untreated group, the anti-CD3/CD28, IL-2, IL-15, and IL-7 groups had significantly increased expression of TIM-3 on CD8+ T cells (9.629%±9.916%, P=0000 1; 3.817%±2.694%, P = 0.000 6; 5.772%±4.732%, P = 0.005 4; 3.560%±2.045%, P = 0.030 2), while the IL-21 group had nonsignificantly increased expression of TIM-3 on CD8+ T cells (2.503%±2.117%, P = 0.934 1). ConclusionAnti-CD3/CD28 and gamma-chain cytokines IL-2, IL-7, and IL-15 can effectively upregulate the expression of TIM-3 on CD8+ T cells in patients with CHB. It indicates that the inhibition of them can not only reduce the expression of TIM-3, but also may enhance the killing function of CD8+ T cells in patients with CHB.