Prognostic value of angiogenic T cells in hepatitis B-induced liver cirrhosis

This study was performed to investigate the frequency of angiogenic T cells (CD4+ Tang cells) among CD4+ T cells in patients with hepatitis B-induced liver cirrhosis (HBV-LC) and to evaluate the predictive role of these cells in the clinical outcome. In total, 185 patients with HBV-LC were recruited to measure the frequency of CD4+ Tang cells and chemokine levels using flow cytometry. RESULTS: There was 11.4% of death after 3-momth follow-up. The AUC for the ability of the frequency of CD4+ Tang cell to predict death was 0.724 (higher than those for the MELD score, FIB-4 score, and Child-Pugh classification). Cox regression analysis revealed an association between the frequency of CD4+ Tang cells and a 3-month survival chance. CONCLUSIONS: The lower frequency of CD4+ T ang cells was correlated with the severity of HBV-LC and may serve as a prognostic predictor.