Objective: To investigate the phenotypic characteristics of lymphocytes in hepatitis B virus (HBV) transgenic mice and the effect of interferon α on virological indexes and immune cell phenotypes.
Methods: HBV transgenic mice and wild-type (WT) mice were selected, 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 were detected by ELISA, and the liver, spleen and peripheral blood were separated. Lymphocytes, the frequency of CD4+T and CD19+B cells were detected by flow cytometry; 9 HBV transgenic mice were injected subcutaneously with recombinant murine interferon α (rmIFN-α), and 9 HBV transgenic mice were injected with PBS accordingly , observe the changes of serum HBsAg, HBV DNA, IL-6, IL-21 levels and the frequency of CD4+T and CD19+B cells in peripheral blood.
Results: The serum HBsAg level of HBV transgenic mice was higher and HBcAb could be detected, and the serum IL-21 and IL-6 levels were significantly higher than those of WT mice (P<0.05). The frequency of CD4+ T cells in spleen lymphocytes was significantly lower than that of WT mice (P<0.05), but the frequency of CD19+ B cells in liver was significantly higher than that of WT mice (P<0.05); HBV transgenic mice had intrahepatic CD4+ The frequency of T cells was negatively correlated with the level of serum HBsAg, while the frequency of intrahepatic CD19+ B cells was positively correlated with the level of serum HBcAb; rmIFN-α treatment could significantly increase the frequency of CD4+ T and CD19+ B cells in peripheral blood and serum HBcAb levels of HBV transgenic mice IL-6 level (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The frequency of lymphocyte subsets in HBV transgenic mice is abnormal, and exogenous interferon α can play an immunoregulatory role by regulating the frequency of lymphocyte subsets.