Parallel decline of CD8+CD38+ lymphocytes and viremia in treated hepatitis B patients

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the patients (n = 95) n (%)

Characteristics	Hepatitis B patients (n = 35)	HBV carriers(n = 25)	Healthy controls (n = 35)
Mean age (yr)	34.4 ± 13.5	31.2 ± 13.3	34.0 ± 9.1
Sex (male/female)	29/6	13/12	21/14
Ethnic background	Han 35 (100)	Han 25 (100)	Han 35 (100)
Serum ALT level (IU/L)	281 ± 59.1	25.3 ± 11.5	21.4 ± 10.2
HBV DNA level (log copies/mL)	7.68 ± 0.98	8.43 ± 0.89	< 3
Positive for HBeAg	35 (100)	25 (100)	0 (0)
Prior medication for HBV	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)

ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; HBeAg: Hepatitis B e antigen.

Table 2 Counts and proportions of patient peripheral lymphocyte subsets

T subsets	CHB patients (n = 35)	HBV carriers (n = 25)	Healthy controls (n = 35)
White blood cells × 109/L	4.96 ± 1.18b	5.60 ± 0.96b	6.53 ± 1.42
Lymphocytes × 109/L (%)	1.60 ± 0.51b (32.7 ± 8.7)	1.72 ± 0.44b (31.2 ± 8.8)	2.13 ± 0.49 (33.1 ± 6.6)
Natural killer cells /μL (%)	197 ± 102a (12.2 ± 5.1)	272 ± 189 (15.1 ± 8.4)	310 ± 181 (14.6 ± 7.8)
B cells/μL (%)	228 ± 148 (14.3 ± 6.3)	220 ± 113 (12.6 ± 4.6)	242 ± 95 (11.4 ± 3.8)
CD3+ T cells/μL (%)	1145 ± 380b (71.5 ± 7.1)	1190 ± 278b (70.4 ± 9.6)	1516 ± 382 (71.4 ± 7.6)
CD3+CD4+ T cells/μL (%)	573 ± 194b (36.3 ± 6.9)	673 ± 148b (40.1 ± 6.9)	816 ± 259 (38.2 ± 7.0)
CD3+CD8+ T cells/μL (%)	489 ± 213a (30.1 ± 8.0)	445 ± 157b (25.9 ± 6.1)	609 ± 177 (28.9 ± 5.7)
CD4+/CD8+	1.35 ± 0.62	1.64 ± 0.50	1.39 ± 0.44
CD8+CD38+ T cells/μL (%)	301 ± 152 (62.0 ± 14.7bd)	285 ± 121 (51.8 ± 18.5)	274 ± 81 (46.3 ± 11.9)
CD4+CD28+ T cells/μL (%1)	532 ± 191b (96.0)	622 ± 149a (95.7)	744 ± 221 (94.7)
CD8+CD28+ T cells/μL (%)	235 ± 125a (51.1 ± 15.5)	245 ± 100a (55.7 ± 16.0)	306 ± 94 (51.3 ± 11.7)

¹Medians were used as the CD4+CD28+ T cell proportions were non-normal variables according to Kolmogorov-Smirnov Normality Test.

^aP < 0.05,

^bP < 0.01 vs normal healthy controls;

^dP < 0.01 vs hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers. CHB: Chronic hepatitis B.