The relationship between liver pathological inflammation degree and pyroptosis in chronic hepatitis B patients

The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between liver pathological inflammation degree and pyroptosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). One hundred and twenty CHB patients' liver tissue samples, including A0-A3 inflammatory grades, were selected. Six tissue sections were selected for each indicator in each inflammation grade. The results of immunohistochemical analysis on the pyroptosis-related molecules (NLRP3, GSDMD, caspase1, interleukin [IL]-1β, and IL-18) were determined. The correlation between the pyroptosis-related molecules and liver inflammatory activities was analyzed. The expression of NLRP3, GSDMD, caspase1, IL-18, and IL-1β was respectively significantly positively correlated with the grade of inflammatory activity (r _s  = 0.690, p < 0.01; r _s  = 0.681, p < 0.01; r _s  = 0.540, p < 0.01; r _s  = 0.725, p < 0.01; r _s  = 0.663, p < 0.01) and linear relationship (χ ²  = 56.763, p < 0.01; χ ²  = 55.350, p < 0.01; χ ²  = 34.776, p < 0.01; χ ²  = 62.523, p < 0.01; χ ²  = 52.521, p < 0.01) in liver tissue. The high expression of NLRP3, GSDMD, caspase1, IL-1β, and IL-18 may be involved in the process of liver tissue inflammation and damage, which is positively correlated with liver tissue inflammation in patients with CHB.