Editor's Note: The 2023 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Annual Meeting has recently concluded in Boston, USA. A study in the field of immunology related to hepatitis B virus (HBV) conducted by Professor Zhihua Liu's team at Nanfang Hospital,Southern Medical University, , was selected for an oral presentation (Oral 74) at the conference. This research found that from pregnancy to postpartum, T-cell immune response of mothers undergoes dynamic changes, with an anti-inflammatory immune response dominating during pregnancy and a pro-inflammatory response dominating postpartum. Furthermore, the Th1 subtype of T-cells appears to be associated with the control of HBV infection and liver inflammation activity. In this article, we provide details of their research.
The natural history of chronic HBV infection primarily depends on the interaction between the host’s immune system and the virus. Pregnancy is a unique physiological process during which the mother’s immune system undergoes significant changes (Moore K W, et al. Annu Rev Immunol 2001; Somerset D A, et al. Immunology 2004). For women with chronic HBV infection, it remains unclear how the host’s immune system changes from pregnancy to postpartum and whether these changes affect their HBV infection status. Clarifying the patterns of maternal T-cell immune changes during pregnancy and the postpartum period is of great significance for optimizing antiviral treatment and follow-up management for pregnant women with HBV.
In a prospective study conducted by Prof. Liu’s team at Nanfang Hospital, 24 pregnant women with HBV infection in the immune-tolerant phase were included. They were followed from mid-pregnancy to six months postpartum. Additionally, 12 non-pregnant women with HBV infection in the immune-tolerant phase were included as a control group. The study observed the dynamic changes in T-cell phenotype and function, liver function, and virological markers throughout the entire follow-up period. It also analyzed the correlation between T-cell immunological markers and clinicalparameters.
The results revealed that among CD4+ T-cells, the frequency of Th1 subtype was lower during pregnancy than postpartum (P=0.000), while the frequency of Th2 subtype was higher during pregnancy than postpartum (P=0.000). Among Th1 memory cells, central memory T-cells dominated during pregnancy, whereas effector memory T-cells dominated postpartum. Additionally, the frequency of Th1 subtype was negatively correlated with serum HBeAg levels (P=0.045, r=-0.442), and the level of CD4+ T-cell secretion of IL-17 was positively correlated with ALT levels (P=0.043, r=0.647).
In summary, these findings suggest that from pregnancy to postpartum, the body’s T-cell immunity undergoes dynamic changes, with an anti-inflammatory immune response prevailing during pregnancy and a pro-inflammatory response dominating postpartum. Importantly, the Th1 subtype of T-cells appears to be associated with the control of HBV infection and liver inflammation activity.
[1] Hou JL, Hao YH, Gao YF, et al. DYNAMIC CHANGES OF T-CELL IMMUNITY IN WOMEN WITH CHRONIC HBV INFECTION DURING PREGNANCY AND POSTPARTUM AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH HBV INFECTION STATUS. AASLD 2023. Oral 74.
Zhihua Liu
Chief Physician and Doctoral Supervisor in the Department of Infectious Diseases，Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University;Guangdong Institute of Hepatology). He holds a Doctor of Medicine degree.
TAG：AASLD 2023, China of Voice, HBV
