Abstract: Objective To observe the T lymphocyte level in hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected patients with different degree of inflammatory gastric mucosal lesions. Methods A total of 273 HBV infected-patients were enrolled in this study from April 2015 to April 2020, including 85 cases with acute hepatitis B, 93 cases with chronic hepatitis B, and 95 cases with post-hepatitis cirrhosis. They were divided into acute hepatitis B group, chronic hepatitis B group and post-hepatitis cirrhosis group, respectively. In addition, 95 healthy volunteers who had physical examination during the same period were included and assigned into a healthy control group. The CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺, and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ levels of T lymphocytes were detected in these three groups of patients after admission (before treatment) and the healthy controls. Gastroscopy was then performed in all patients to record the degree of inflammatory lesions in gastric mucosa. The levels of T lymphocytes in all groups, and the degree of inflammatory gastric mucosal lesions in different patient groups were compared. The association between T lymphocyte levels and the degree of gastric mucosal lesion were analyzed. Results The levels of CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺, CD4⁺/CD8⁺ in T lymphocytes of healthy group were (67.58±6.81)%, (46.19±4.16)%, (30.17±2.44)%, (1.60±0.41)%; in acute hepatitis B group were (63.24±5.02)%, (43.02±3.77)%, (26.15±2.10)%, (1.33±0.34)%; in chronic hepatitis B group were (55.12±4.22)%, (35.16±2.15)%, (21.16±1.84)%, (1.15±0.27)%; and in post-hepatitis cirrhosis group were (47.15±3.19)%, (28.65±1.41)%, (17.19±1.41)%, (0.94±0.22), respectively, which had significantly difference between the groups (healthy group> acute hepatitis B group>chronic hepatitis B group>post-hepatitis cirrhosis group, P<0.05). Significant difference in the inflammatory degrees of gastric mucosa lesions existed in the patient groups. The percentage of severe chronic superficial gastritis patients in acute hepatitis B group was 3.53%, chronic hepatitis B group was 9.68%, post-hepatitis cirrhosis group was 17.89%. Severe lesions of atrophic gastritis accounted for 7.06% patients in acute hepatitis B group, 20.43% in chronic hepatitis B group, 45.26% in post-hepatitis cirrhosis group, which had significant difference within the groups (acute hepatitis B group<post-hepatitis cirrhosis group<chronic hepatitis B group, P<0.05). The levels of CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺, CD4⁺/CD8⁺T lymphocytes in mild gastric mucosal inflammatory lesions were (63.84±5.17)%, (42.19±3.55)%, (25.80±2.41)%, (1.28±0.33)%, respectively, while in those of moderate patients were (57.23±4.31)%, (36.21±2.58)%, (20.53±1.72)%, (1.05±0.24)%, respectively, and in those of severe patients were (48.24±3.54)%, (30.78±1.87)%, (17.58±1.06)%, (0.90±0.18)%, respectively, which had significantly difference (severe<moderate<mild, and P<0.05). The correlation analysis confirmed that the level of T lymphocyte was positively correlated with the degree of inflammatory gastric mucosal lesions (P<0.05). Conclusion The levels of CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺ and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ in T lymphocytes of HBV-infected patients were significantly decreased, and their expression levels were closely associated with the severity of inflammatory gastric mucosal lesions.

Key words: Viral hepatitis B, Inflammatory gastric mucosal lesions, T lymphocytes, Association