Sorted B cell transcriptomes point towards actively regulated B cell responses during ongoing chronic hepatitis B...

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Virology
• Genomics

Background:

• Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection involves distinct clinical phases with fluctuating HBV DNA and ALT levels.
• The immune cells and their specific functions driving these transitions in chronic HBV are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the gene expression profiles of B cells in healthy controls and chronic HBV patients.
• To identify immune cell features associated with clinical disease phases and transitions in chronic HBV infection.

Main Methods:

• RNA sequencing was performed on purified B cells from the blood and liver of 42 healthy controls and chronic HBV patients.
• Differential gene expression analysis was conducted to compare profiles between groups and clinical phenotypes.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in gene expression were observed between healthy controls and chronic HBV patients (190 differentially expressed genes).
• Distinct gene expression profiles were also found between different clinical phases of chronic HBV infection (17-110 differentially expressed genes).
• The B cell receptor pathway was upregulated in liver B cells compared to peripheral B cells, suggesting B cell activation during HBeAg seroconversion and active B cell signaling in the liver.

Conclusions:

• B cells exhibit distinct gene expression patterns in chronic HBV infection, varying between healthy individuals and patients, and across different disease stages.
• These findings indicate B cell activation and active regulation of B cell signaling within the liver during specific phases of chronic HBV, such as HBeAg seroconversion.