Effect of Antiviral Therapy During Pregnancy on Natural Killer Cells in Pregnant Women With Chronic HBV Infection

Frontiers in Immunology

Wei Yi¹  Fuchuan Wang¹  Tingting Jiang²  Fangfang Sun²  Chongping Ran²  Wen Deng²  Hongxiao Hao²  Xiaoyue Bi²  Liu Yang²  Zhan Zeng³  Yao Xie³  Yanjie Lin³  Minghui Li³  Si Xie⁴ 

[1] Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China;Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China;Department of Hepatology Division 2, Peking University Ditan Teaching Hospital, Beijing, China;Division of Hepatology, Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Center, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China;

关键词: hepatitis B virus;    natural killer cells;    chronic hepatitis B;    antiviral treatment;    postpartum;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fimmu.2022.893628

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

ObjectiveTo study the effect of antiviral therapy during pregnancy on the frequency of natural killer (NK) cells in peripheral blood of women with HBV DNA positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB).MethodIn total 124 female subjects were divided into four groups: 11 healthy non-pregnant women (Normal group), 26 non-pregnant women in immune tolerance period of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (CHB group), 41 pregnant CHB women without antiviral treatment during pregnancy (Untreated group), and 46 pregnant CHB women receiving antiviral treatment during pregnancy (Treated group). The frequency of NK cells in peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometry.ResultThe frequency of NK cells in healthy women [15.30 (12.80, 18.40)] was higher than that in women with HBV infection, but there was no significant statistical difference (p=0.436). The frequency of NK cells in CHB group [10.60 (6.00, 18.30)] was higher than those in pregnant CHB women [Untreated: 6.90 (4.89, 10.04), P=0.001; Treated: 9.42 (6.55, 14.10), P=0.047]. The frequency of NK cells in treated group was significantly higher than that in untreated group (P = 0.019). The frequencies of NK cells, CD56bright NK cells and NKp46dim NK cells at 12 and 24 weeks postpartum in the untreated group were increased significantly than those before delivery. In treated group, the frequencies of NK cells, CD56bright NK cells, NKp46+ NK cells and NKp46dim NK cells were significantly increased at 6 and 12 weeks than those before delivery. The frequencies of NK cells and CD56bright NK cells postpartum were increased significantly in treated group than those in untreated group. The frequencies of CD56dim NK cells decreased significantly after delivery in treated than those in untreated patients. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) significantly increased after delivery than those before delivery. The results showed that the postpartum ALT level was weak positive correlated with NKp46high frequency (r=0.199) and was weak negative correlated with NKp46dim frequency (r= -0.199).ConclusionAntiviral treatment during pregnancy could significantly increase the frequency of NK cells postpartum. Postpartum hepatitis may be related to the immune injury caused by change of NK cell frequency and HBV infection.

【 授权许可】

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