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Updated: Jun 16, 2026
Stem Cell-Derived Viral Ag-Specific T Lymphocytes Suppress HBV Replication in Mice
Published on: September 25, 2019
T cell immunoglobulin- and mucin-domain-containing molecule-3 (Tim-3) mediates natural killer cell suppression in
1Institute of Immunology, Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University School of Medicine, #44 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
Background & Aims:
T cell immunoglobulin- and mucin-domain-containing molecule-3 (Tim-3) has been shown to influence autoimmune diseases; however, its function in viral infection has not been well-defined. We therefore investigated the expression and regulatory function of Tim-3 in natural killer (NK) cells in chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) infection.
Methods:
Seventy-six CHB patients, 38 healthy controls, and 18 patients with fatty liver disease (FLD) were tested for Tim-3 expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and in the liver tissue by flow cytometry and immunohistochemical stainning. The effects of HBV infection on Tim-3 expression in NK cells and the roles of Tim-3 in regulation of NK-cell function were also studied.
Results:
There was a significant increase of Tim-3 expression in PBMCs, circulating NK cells and liver infiltrating lymphocytes (LILs) from CHB patients compared to that of healthy controls and FLD patients. Increased Tim-3 expression was also detected in NK92 cells that had been transfected with a HBV expression vector and NK cells isolated from the liver of HBV transgenic mice. Importantly, blockage of Tim-3 signaling with anti-Tim-3 antibodies or Tim-3-Fc fusion proteins resulted in an increased cytotoxicity for NK92 cells compared to HepG2 and HepG2.2.15 cells, as well as an elevated interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production. Similarly, enhanced cytotoxicity was also observed in PBMCs or NK cells from CHB patients treated with the Tim-3 blockade ex vivo.
Conclusion:
HBV infection can up-regulate Tim-3 expression in NK cells, which may in turn suppress NK-cell functions in CHB patients.
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