skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Circulating regulatory Tfh cells are enriched in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection and induce the differentiation of regulatory B cells

Journal Article · · Experimental Cell Research
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Department of Infection, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province (China)
  2. Department of Respiration, Yellow River Central Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan Province (China)
  3. Department of Hematology & Oncology, The 155th Central Hospital of PLA/The Key Laboratory of Hematology of Kaifeng City, Kaifeng, Henan Province (China)

Highlights: • Tfh cells contained a CD25{sup +}Foxp3{sup +} Treg-like subset enriched in HBV patients. • The CD25{sup +} Tfh subset presented distinctive cytokine secretion profile. • The CD25{sup +} Tfh subset was less capable of mediating plasmablast differentiation. • B cells incubated with CD25{sup +} Tfh cells presented elevated regulatory function. • IL-10{sup +} B cells were positively correlated with CD25{sup +}Foxp3{sup +} Tfh cells in HBV patients. Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a complex disease with dysregulations in the immune system. Follicular helper T (Tfh) cells are professional B helper cells that are crucial to the development of antibody responses and are involved in a variety of diseases. In this study, we examined the circulating Tfh cells in patients with chronic HBV infection. We observed that CD3{sup +}CD4{sup +}CXCR5{sup +} circulating Tfh cells contained a CD25{sup +}Foxp3{sup +} Treg-like subset that was significantly enriched in patients with chronic HBV infections. The CD25{sup +} Tfh subset presented distinctive cytokine secretion profile, such as lower interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)−17, and higher transforming growth factor (TGF)-β secretion, compared to the CD25{sup -} Tfh subset. When incubated with autologous naive CD10{sup -}CD27{sup -}CD19{sup +} B cells, the CD25{sup +} Tfh subset was less capable of mediating CD20{sup -/lo}CD38{sup +} plasmablast differentiation than the CD25{sup -} Tfh subset. In terms of Ig production, CD25{sup +} Tfh cells were more potent at inducing IgM but less potent at inducing IgG and IgA than CD25{sup -} Tfh cells. Interestingly, B cells following incubation with CD25{sup +} Tfh cells presented elevated regulatory function, with higher production of IL-10 and enhanced capacity of suppressing autologous CD8{sup +} T cell inflammation. In the chronic HBV-infected patients, the frequency of IL-10{sup +} B cells and the HBV viral load were positively correlated with the frequency of CD25{sup +}Foxp3{sup +} CD4{sup +}CXCR5{sup +} Tfh cells. Together, this study presented that CD25{sup +}Foxp3{sup +} Treg-like Tfh cells were enriched in chronic HBV-infected patients and could promote regulatory B cell functions.

OSTI ID:
23082405
Journal Information:
Experimental Cell Research, Vol. 365, Issue 2; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0014-4827
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English