Increased Circulating T Follicular Helper Cells Induced via IL-12/21 in Patients With Acute on Chronic Hepatitis B Liver Failure

Abstract

Our data demonstrated that there was a high frequency of Tfh cells and high levels of serum IL-12/21 in HBV-ACLF patients. Naïve CD4⁺ T cells differentiate into Tfh cells in the presence of HBV-ACLF patients' serum rich in IL-12/21, which can be blocked by neutralizing IL-12/21 antibodies. These data may provide useful insights for both clinical and basic research in the treatment of HBV-ACLF.