Abstract
AIM: To explore the effects of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) application on peripheral circulating CD1alpha dendritic cells (DCs)in patients with chronic hepatitis B, and the expression of HLA-DR, CD80, and ICAM-1 on CD1alpha DCs in order to explore the mechanism of immune modulation of IFN-alpha. METHODS: By flow cytometry technique, changes of CD1alpha DCs were monitored in 22 patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with IFN-alpha and in 16 such patients not treated with IFN-alpha within three months. Meanwhile, the expression of HLA-DR, CD80, and ICAM-1 on CD1alpha DCs was detected. RESULTS: In the group of IFN-alpha treatment, the percentage of CD1alpha DCs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was increased after three months of therapy. In patients who became negative for HBV-DNA after IFN-alpha treatment, the increase of DCs was more prominent, while in control, these changes were not observed. Increased expression of HLA-DR, CD80,and ICAM-1 on CD1alpha DCs was also observed. CONCLUSION: CD1alpha DCs can be induced by IFN-alpha in vivo, and the immune related molecules such as HLA-DR, CD80,and ICAM-1 are up-regulated to some degree. This might be an important immune related mechanism of IFN-alpha treatment for chronic hepatitis B.