Abstract: Objective To investigate the effect of dendritic cells (DC) on reducing HBsAg and HBeAg levels of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients treated with nucleoside (nucleotide) and (or) interferon. Methods Autologous dendritic cells were separated and cultured and re-infused into 42 cases of respective CHB
patients who had been treated with nucleos(t)ide and (or) interferon. Their HBsAg and HBeAg levels were compared with those 348 patients in control group. Results Markedly effective rates of the reduction of HBsAg levels were 28.2% in treatment group and 18.9% in control group, while those of the reduction of
HBeAg levels in both groups were 41% and 29.6%, respectively. No significant difference in markedly effective rate of HBeAg reduction was found between the two groups (P = 0.31). Conclusions Re-infusion of autologous dendritic cells can break immune tolerance in part of the CHB patients and induce some immune response, and enhance the comprehensive effect of antiviral treatment for hepatitis B.
|