The expression profile of Fc receptor-like Y in B lymphocytes with hepatitis B virus induced diseases

The Fc Receptor-like Y (FcRY) molecule is preferentially expressed by B lymphocytes and has recently been considered as a potential therapeutic target for B cell malignancies. In this study, we investigated the correlation between FcRY expression profile, B lymphocytes population and different HBV infection disease status. The FcRY expression level on B lymphocytes and the number of B lymphocytes population from peripheral blood in 27 healthy controls (HC) and 65 patients with HBV-induced diseases, including chronic hepatitis B (CHB), liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), were analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR and flow cytometry. The results showed the level of FcRY expression and frequency of germinal center (GC) B lymphocytes from peripheral blood were significantly correlated with the HBV-related disease status, which was highest in HCC and LC patients, lowest in healthy donors, and in the middle in patients with CHB. Our study indicates that there is a significant correlation between FcRY expression profile, B lymphocytes population and HBV-induced diseases. However, the roles of FcRY and B lymphocytes in HBV-induced diseases are unclear and need further investigation.