Immune response pattern varies with the natural history of chronic hepatitis B

Figure 6 Longitudinal analysis of NK and T cell responses in representative individuals who transitioned from one phase to another. Patient-1, a patient who transitioned from the immune tolerant to immune active phase. Patient-3, a patient who experienced spontaneous HBeAg clearance. Patient-5, a patient in the clinical phase changed from inactive carrier to HBeAg-negative hepatitis phase. A: Dynamic fluctuations of clinical parameters from one phase to another, including alanine aminotransferase, hepatitis B virus DNA and hepatitis B surface antigen; B: Phenotypic and functional changes of natural killer cells in representative patients who transitioned from one phase to another; C: Changes of interferon-gamma production in global T cells, and core or S peptide pool-stimulated T cells. NK: Natural killer; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; HBsAg: Hepatitis B surface antigen; HBeAg: Hepatitis B envelope antigen; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; IFN-γ: Interferon-gamma; TNF-α: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha; HD: Healthy honors; IT: Immune tolerant; IA: Immune active; IC: Inactive carrier; ENEG: Hepatitis B envelope antigen-negative hepatitis.