CD3(bright)CD56(+) T cells associate with pegylated interferon-alpha treatment nonresponse in chronic hepatitis B patients.

ABSTRACT: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection is a serious and prevalent health concern worldwide, and the development of effective drugs and strategies to combat this disease is urgently needed. Currently, pegylated interferon-alpha (peg-IFNα) and nucleoside/nucleotide analogues (NA) are the most commonly prescribed treatments. However, sustained response rates in patients remain low, and the reasons are not well understood. Here, we observed that CHB patients preferentially harbored CD3(bright)CD56(+) T cells, a newly identified CD56(+) T cell population. Patients with this unique T cell population exhibited relatively poor responses to peg-IFNα treatment. CD3(bright)CD56(+) T cells expressed remarkably high levels of the inhibitory molecule NKG2A as well as low levels of CD8. Even if patients wer

SUBMITTER: Guo C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4865958 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature