The expression of interferon-γ in peripheral blood monocytes in patients with chronic HBV infection and its influencing factors

Objective: To study the expression of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in peripheral blood monocytes (PBMCs) in patients with chronic HBV infection and factors that may affect its expression. Methods: The expression of IFN-γ mRNA and secretion of IFN-γ in chronic HBV infectious patients were determined by real-time RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively; HBV DNA in PBMCs was detected by nested-PCR. Results: The expression and secretion of IFN-γ were all significantly lower in chronic HBV infectious patients than in controls (P<0.01, P<0.05). The expression and secretion of IFN-γ were all obviously lower in chronic HBV carriers than in HBeAg positive group (P<0.05, P<0.05) and HBeAg negative group (P<0.01, P<0.01). The expression and serection of IFN-γ were all significantly lower in HBeAg positive group than in HBeAg negative group (P<0.01, P<0.01). The expression and secretion of IFN-γ showed significantly lower level in HBV DNA from PBMCs positive group than in HBV DNA negative group (P<0.01, P<0.01); the expression and secretion of IFN-γ were negatively correlated with the amounts of HBV DNA in serum (P<0.01, P<0.001). Conclusion: The expression of IFN-γ in chronic HBV infectious patients was lower; high amounts of HBV DNA may inhibit the expression of IFN-γ.