Clinical Significance of B7-H3 Expression During the Progression of Hepatitis B Virus Infection.

Abstract

B7-H3, one of the costimulatory members participating in checkpoint pathway, has been shown to be upregulated after hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. To further explore the clinical significance of dynamic B7-H3 expression during the progression of HBV infection, we systematically investigated the expression pattern of B7-H3 and the correlation of B7-H3 expression with the ratio of T lymphocyte subsets and clinical parameters at different stages in the course of the disease. Flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay data showed that soluble form of B7-H3 (sB7-H3) was positively correlated with the frequency of Treg cells in acute hepatitis B (AHB), chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and hepatocellular carcinoma patients with HBV infection (HBV-HCC). Membrane form of B7-H3 (mB7-H3) expressed on Treg cells and monocytes was positively correlated with the frequency of Treg cells in CHB. SB7-H3 had relationship with mB7-H3 expressed on Treg cells and monocytes at different stages during HBV infection, except for HBV-HCC. MB7-H3 expressed on Treg cells was positively correlated with that on monocytes in AHB, CHB, HBV-liver cirrhosis, and HBV-HCC. The B7-H3 expression was positively correlated with aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels in CHB and sB7-H3 level was higher in late tumor/node/metastasis (TNM) stage in HCC. Higher mB7-H3 expression was associated with greater tumor size, later TNM stage, and worse prognosis in HBV-HCC indicated by immunohistochemistry. Taken together, these results suggested that B7-H3 might contribute to the progression of HBV infection by triggering inhibitory signals in effector T cells and it was closely associated with the progression and poor prognosis during HBV infection. B7-H3 could be utilized as a potential clinical indicator and a potential target for therapeutic strategies against HBV infection.

• Authors: Fei Gao, Jun-Chi Xu, Li Zhu, Hui Chen, Xiao-Yan Zhu, Xin-Ran You, Shu-Xiang Li, Chen-Lu Zhu, Chen Yang, Chuan-Wu Zhu, Ping Xu
• Journal: Viral immunology (Viral Immunol) Vol. 31 Issue 10 Pg. 668-675 (12 2018) ISSN: 1557-8976 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 30481143 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• B7 Antigens
• CD276 protein, human
• Aspartate Aminotransferases
• Alanine Transaminase

Topics

• Alanine Transaminase (blood)
• Aspartate Aminotransferases (blood)
• B7 Antigens (blood, immunology, metabolism)
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (immunology, mortality, pathology, virology)
• Disease Progression
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Hepatitis B virus (immunology)
• Hepatitis B, Chronic (immunology, mortality, pathology, virology)
• Humans
• Kaplan-Meier Estimate
• Liver (immunology, pathology, virology)
• Liver Function Tests
• Liver Neoplasms (immunology, mortality, pathology, virology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Prognosis
• Progression-Free Survival
• T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic (immunology)
• T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory (immunology)
• Up-Regulation