The Expression of TLR-9, CD86, and CD95 Phenotypes in Circulating B Cells of Patients with Chronic Viral Hepatitis B or C before and after Antiviral Therapy

Figure 3

The expression of activation marker (CD86) in interferon responsive and nonresponsive HCV patients at baseline. A total of 50 HCV patients were treated with interferon for 2 weeks, and the frequency of CD86+ B cells in peripheral blood was determined by flow cytometry analysis at baseline: (a) the expression of the activation marker (CD86) on total (CD19+), plasma (CD19+CD38+), and nonplasma (CD19+CD38−) B cells stimulated with CpGB and (b) the expression of the activation marker (CD95) on total (CD19+), plasma (CD19+CD38+), and nonplasma (CD19+CD38−) B cells stimulated with CpGB + IL-2. Data were analyzed by the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. The horizontal lines indicate the median values of different groups. Data are expressed as mean % of individual samples from at least two separate experiments.

(a)

(b)