Correlation between low tapasin expression and impaired CD8+ T‑cell function in patients with chronic hepatitis B

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Virology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection impairs T-cell responses.
• Tapasin is crucial for antigen processing and T-cell induction.
• The role of tapasin in chronic HBV (CHB) is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between tapasin expression and CHB.
• To evaluate the impact of tapasin on CD8+ T-cell responses in CHB patients.

Main Methods:

• Quantified tapasin mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from CHB, acute HBV (AHB), and healthy controls using RT-qPCR.
• Assessed CD8+ T-cell responses, including apoptosis and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) production.
• Analyzed correlations between tapasin expression and CD8+ T-cell immune parameters.

Main Results:

• Tapasin mRNA levels were significantly downregulated in CHB patients compared to AHB patients and healthy controls.
• CHB patients exhibited increased CD8+ T-cell apoptosis and reduced IFN-γ+CD8+ T-cell percentages.
• Tapasin expression positively correlated with IFN-γ production and inversely correlated with CD8+ T-cell apoptosis.

Conclusions:

• Reduced tapasin expression is closely associated with CHB.
• Tapasin may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of CHB by affecting T-cell immunity.
• Restoring tapasin function could be a potential therapeutic strategy for CHB.