Analysis of immunological mechanisms exerted by HBsAg-HBIG therapeutic vaccine combined with Adefovir in chronic hepatitis B patients

An HBsAg-HBIG therapeutic vaccine (Yeast-derived Immune Complexes, YIC) for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients has undergone a series of clinical trials. The HBeAg sero-conversion rate of YIC varied from 21.9% to 14% depending on the immunization protocols from 6 to 12 injections. To analyze the immunological mechanisms exerted by 6 injections of YIC, 44 CHB patients were separately immunized with YIC, alum as adjuvant control or normal saline as blank control, with add on of antiviral drug Adefovir in all groups. Kinetic increase in Th1 and Th2 cells CD4(+) T cell sub-populations with association in decrease in Treg cells and increase of Tc1 and Tc17 cells in CD8(+) T cells were observed in YIC immunized group. No such changes were found in the other groups. By multifunctional analysis of cytokine profiles, significant increase of IL-2 levels was observed, both in CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells in the YIC immunized group, accompanied by increase in IFN-gamma and decrease of inhibitory factors (IL-10, TGF-beta and Foxp3) in CD4(+) T cells. In the alum immunized group, slight increase of IL-10, TGF-beta and Foxp3 in CD4(+) T cells was found after the second injection, but decreased after more injections, suggesting that alum induced early inflammatory responses to a certain extent. Similar patterns of responses of IL-17A and TNF-alpha in CD8(+)T cells were shown between YIC and the saline group. Results indicate that add on of Adefovir, did not affect host specific immune responses.