【Animal Modeling】-The phenotype characteristics of lymphocytes in HBV transgenic mice and the effect of interferon alpha on it

  Objective: To investigate the phenotypic characteristics of lymphocytes in hepatitis B virus (HBV) transgenic mice and the effect of interferon-α on its virological indicators and immune cell phenotype.

  Method: Select HBV transgenic and wild (WT) mice, and use ELISA to measure the serum HBsAg and HBcAb levels of HBV transgenic mice and the serum IL-21 and IL-6 levels of the two groups of mice, respectively. Flow cytometry detects the frequency of liver, spleen, peripheral blood lymphocytes, CD4 + T and CD19 + B cells. Recombinant mouse interferon-α (rmIFN-α) was injected subcutaneously into 9 HBV transgenic mice, and 9 HBV transgenic mice were injected. Inject the corresponding PBS, observe the changes in serum HBsAg, HBVDNA, IL-6, IL-21 levels, and observe the changes in the frequency of peripheral blood CD4 + T and CD19 + B cells.

  Results: The serum HBsAg level of HBV transgenic mice was high, and HBcAb could be detected. The serum IL-21 and IL-6 levels were significantly higher than wild-type mice (P\u003c0.05); the frequency of CD4 + T cells in peripheral blood, liver And spleen lymphocytes are significantly lower than wild-type mice (P\u003c0.05), but the frequency of CD19 + B cells in the liver is significantly higher than that of wild-type mice (P\u003c0.05); HBV transgenic mouse liver CD4 + T cell frequency is negatively correlated with serum HBsAg level, and intrahepatic CD19 + B cell frequency is positively correlated with serum HBcAb level; rmIFN-α treatment can significantly increase peripheral blood CD4 + T and CD19 + B cell frequency and serum HBV transgene IL-6 levels in mice (P\u003c0.05).

  Conclusion: The frequency of lymphocyte subsets in HBV transgenic mice is abnormal, and exogenous interferon α can play an immunomodulatory effect by regulating the frequency of lymphocyte subsets.