To investigate the expression of T helper type 17 cells (Th17) and cell-related cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-21, IL-22, IL-23 in the peripheral blood of different clinical stages of patients with acute hepatitis B (AHB).

Ten cases of AHB patients were enrolled. The frequency of Th17 cells in the three clinical stages (i.e.acute phase, convalescent phase and resolved phase) were detected by flow cytometry. IL-21, IL-22 and IL-23 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Control group was composed of ten healthy subjects. The comparison between the two groups was done by t test and the differences among multiple groups were compared by one way ANOVA. Pearson correlation analysis was used for correlation analysis.

The frequency of Th17 in healthy controls was (0.68±0.29)%, while those in acute phase, convalescent phase and resolved phase of AHB patients were(18.22±4.13)%, (3.14±1.90)% and (3.31±0.95)%, respectively. The differences between the two groups were significant (t=13.405, 4.047 and 8.342, respectively; all P<0.01). The levels of IL-21, IL-22 and IL-23 in healthy controls were (42.00±6.95), (315.89±96.16) and (11.95±6.95) ng/L, respectively. Those in acute phase of AHB patients were (575.39±47.01), (648.44±47.12) and (38.29±4.68) ng/L, respectively, those in convalescent phase were (366.50±33.74), (405.04±47.12) and (25.10±4.69) ng/L, respectively, while those in resolved phase of AHB patients were (46.62±8.28), (365.94±45.62) and (15.29±4.69) ng/L, respectively. Compared with healthy controls, t values of the levels of IL-21 in three different phases of AHB patients were 35.497, 29.792 and 1.354 with P value of <0.01, <0.01 and 0.193, respectively; those of IL-22 were 9.820, 2.632 and 1.487 with P value of <0.01, 0.021 and 0.161, respectively; those of IL-23 were 9.944, 4.961 and 1.260 with P values of <0.01, <0.01 and 0.226, respectively. After comparison of IL-21, IL-22 and IL-23 among three different phase of AHB, F values were 622.784, 107.772 and 60.743 with all P values less than 0.01, respectively. The levels of IL-21, IL-22 and IL-23 were all positively correlated with the serum ALT level in acute phase (r=0.655, 0.666 and 0.673, respectively; all P<0.05). Correlation analysis demonstrated that the frequency of Th17 was positively correlated with the levels of IL-21, IL-22 and IL-23 in acute phase(r=0.879, 0.866 and 0.879, respectively; all P<0.01). The frequency of Th17 was positively correlated with the level of IL-21 in the resolved phase. No correlations between the remaining groups were confirmed.

The expressions of Th17 and cell-related cytokines, including IL-21, IL-22 and IL-23 decline with the recovery of AHB.

Hepatitis B, acute; Th17; IL-21; IL-22; IL-23