[COMPARATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF IMMUNE STATUS OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC FORMS OF VIRAL HEPATITIS B, C, D AND HEALTHY...

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Hepatology
• Virology

Background:

• Chronic hepatitis (CH) presents diverse etiological agents and disease severities.
• Immune system dysregulation is a hallmark of chronic viral infections.
• Understanding immune status in CH is crucial for prognosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the immune status in patients with chronic hepatitis.
• To correlate immune changes with the causative agent and disease severity.
• To identify specific immune cell subset alterations in different forms of CH.

Main Methods:

• Flow cytometry was used to analyze T-lymphocyte (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+), B-lymphocyte (CD72+), and natural killer (CD16+) cell levels.
• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) quantified serum immunoglobulin concentrations (IgA, IgM, IgG).
• A cohort of 232 individuals, including 127 CH patients and 105 healthy controls from Yakutia, was studied.

Main Results:

• Patients with various forms of chronic hepatitis exhibited decreased expression of CD3+, CD4+, and CD72+ antigens on lymphocytes and lower serum immunoglobulin levels.
• In hepatitis D virus (HDV) patients with active monoreplication, increased cytotoxic cell activity coincided with a deficiency in mature T-lymphocytes.
• Hepatitis D virus patients with liver cirrhosis maintained normal immunoglobulin levels but showed reduced T-helper and B-lymphocyte counts.

Conclusions:

• Acquired immune deficiency can develop in patients with various forms of viral hepatitis, often with enhanced natural killer cell activity.
• Reduced numbers of mature, functionally active T-cells and decreased serum antibodies may reflect immune system burden during chronic infection.
• These findings highlight significant immune alterations in chronic hepatitis, varying by causative agent and disease stage.