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Altered Frequency, Activation, and Clinical Relevance of Circulating Innate and Innate-Like Lymphocytes in Patients With Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis

  • Ki-Jeong Park (Department of Rheumatology, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hospital) ;
  • Hye-Mi Jin (Department of Rheumatology, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hospital) ;
  • Young-Nan Cho (Department of Rheumatology, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hospital) ;
  • Jae Hyun Yoon (Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hospital) ;
  • Seung-Jung Kee (Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hospital) ;
  • Hyo-Sin Kim (Department of Surgery, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hospital) ;
  • Yong-Wook Park (Department of Rheumatology, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hospital)
  • Received : 2023.02.05
  • Accepted : 2023.03.25
  • Published : 2023.06.30
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Abstract

Alcoholic liver cirrhosis (ALC) is caused by chronic alcohol overconsumption and might be linked to dysregulated immune responses in the gut-liver axis. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research on levels and functions of innate lymphocytes including mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, NKT cells, and NK (NK) cells in ALC patients. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the levels and function of these cells, evaluate their clinical relevance, and explore their immunologic roles in the pathogenesis of ALC. Peripheral blood samples from ALC patients (n = 31) and healthy controls (HCs, n = 31) were collected. MAIT cells, NKT cells, NK cells, cytokines, CD69, PD-1, and lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG-3) levels were measured by flow cytometry. Percentages and numbers of circulating MAIT cells, NKT cells, and NK cells were significantly reduced in ALC patients than in HCs. MAIT cell exhibited increased production of IL-17 and expression levels of CD69, PD-1, and LAG-3. NKT cells displayed decreased production of IFN-γ and IL-4. NK cells showed elevated CD69 expression. Absolute MAIT cell levels were positively correlated with lymphocyte count but negatively correlated with C-reactive protein. In addition, NKT cell levels were negatively correlated with hemoglobin levels. Furthermore, log-transformed absolute MAIT cell levels were negatively correlated with the Age, Bilirubin, INR, and Creatinine score. This study demonstrates that circulating MAIT cells, NKT cells, and NK cells are numerically deficient in ALC patients, and the degree of cytokine production and activation status also changed. Besides, some of their deficiencies are related to several clinical parameters. These findings provide important information about immune responses of ALC patients.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by grants (2019R1A2C1003238, 2021R1A2C2013961, 2019R1F1A1058244, 2019R1I1A1A01040762) from the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Korean Government. It was also supported by grants (BCRI20063, BCRI20024) funded by Chonnam National University Hospital Biomedical Research Institute.

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