Abstract: Objective To investigate the functional changes of dendritic cells (DC) from chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients upon stimulation of different hepatitis B virus antigen and treated with antiviral drugs.Methods Monocytes, isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in 17 CHB patients, were induced into mature DC with hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and HBcAg combination with HBsAg, respectively. Co-stimulatory molecules on DC surface, including CD1a, CD80, CD83 and human leukocyte antigen DR (HLA-DR), were analyzed using flow cytometry. The functions of DC were evaluated using allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction assay.Results Compared with those in HBsAg-induced DC, levels of CD1a, CD80, CD83 and HLA-DR were higher on DC induced by HBcAg alone, as well as HBsAg combination with HBcAg (HLA-DR: 85.12±1.55 vs. 98.37±1.27 vs. 99.21±1.33; CD1a: 15.69±2.46 vs. 16.25±2.33 vs. 42.20±1.10; CD80: 71.88±6.38 vs. 80.74±3.23 vs. 94.70±2.77; CD83: 32.64±2.77 vs. 42.55±2.88 vs. 44.16±1.89). The mixed lymphocyte reaction ability of DC showed the similar pattern (HBV DNA+: 7.29±0.17 vs. 7.99±0.43 vs. 8.56±0.31; HBV DNA-: 7.48±0.30 vs. 8.22±0.41 vs. 8.78±0.31). After anti-viral therapy, functional status of DC, such as co-stimulatory molecules expression and the mixed lymphocyte reaction ability, were improved more obviously than those at baseline (HLA-DR:99.21±1.33 vs. 99.82±2.67;CD1a:42.20±1.10 vs. 71.33±5.89;CD80:94.70±2.77 vs. 96.42±3.56;CD83:44.16±1.89 vs. 68.34±2.11).Conclusion The dysfunction of DC as the important phagocytes from CHB patients might be improved and recovered through combined induction with HBsAg and HBcAg, which could be further relived after anti-viral therapy. It provides a effective and potential therapy for CHB.

Key words: Chronic hepatitis B, Dendritic cell, HBsAg, HBcAg