To investigate the effects of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection on T cell immunoglobulin- and mucin-domain-containing molecule-3 (Tim-3), programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) in liver cirrhosis patients.

In this study, 47 patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis were selected from August, 2017 to August, 2018 as the research subjects and were divided into two groups of EBV infection group and non-EBV infection group according to EBV infection. Expressions of serum Tim-3, PD-1 and ERK in the two groups were compared.

The differences of the expressions of PD-1 and Tim-3 in CD14⁺⁺CD16^- and CD14⁺⁺CD16⁺ peripheral blood monocyte subsets, and in NK cells of the two groups were statistically significant (P<0.05). The positive rate of ERK expression in EBV infection group was 45.45% while the rate in non-EBV infection group was 16.00%. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in liver function indexes between the two groups (P>0.05).

Elevated expression of Tim-3, PD-1 in CD14⁺⁺CD16^- and CD14⁺⁺CD16⁺ peripheral blood monocyte subsets and in NK cells, as well as increased ERK expression were observed in EBV infected liver cirrhosis patients. EBV infection showed no significant effect on liver functions in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Cirrhosis; EB virus infection; Tim-3; PD-1; ERK