T细胞免疫球蛋白黏蛋白分子3在乙型肝炎病毒感染慢性化中的作用机制

Mechanism of T cell Immunoglobulin Domain and Mucin Domain-3 in the Chronicity of Hepatitis B Virus Infection

T细胞免疫球蛋白黏蛋白分子3(Tim-3)是新近发现的免疫负调控分子,在固有免疫和适应性免疫细胞中均有表达,具有广泛的免疫调控功能。在慢性乙型肝炎病毒(HBV)感染过程中,Tim-3在T淋巴细胞、自然杀伤细胞、树突状细胞等多种类型的免疫细胞中表达增加。Tim-3过表达往往伴随着上述细胞的功能受损,而阻断Tim-3表达可恢复其部分免疫功能。因此,未来深入了解HBV感染过程中Tim-3对宿主免疫应答的调节作用,可进一步揭示HBV相关肝病的发病机制,从而为HBV感染的免疫治疗提供新靶点。

T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain-3( Tim-3) is a recently discovered negative immunoregulatory molecule,which is expressed in innate and adaptive immune cells,and has extensive immunomodulatory functions. In the course of chronic hepatitis B virus( HBV) infection,Tim-3 is increased in many types of immune cells,such as T cells,natural killer cells,dendritic cells,and so on. Tim-3 over-expression is often accompanied by impaired function of the abovementioned immunocytes,and blocking the expression of Tim-3 can restore some of its immune function. Therefore further understanding of the regulatory role of Tim-3 in host immune response in the process of HBV infection,and further revealing of the mechanisms of HBV related liver diseases,will provide new targets for immunotherapy of HBV infection.