| Background:The persistent infection of HBV is the main cause of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), which can develops more severe liver diseases such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hence, taking antiviral treatment that aims to control or eradicate hepatitis B virus as early as possible and lessen the inflammation which might induce fibrogenesis is very important to reduce the occurrence of progression to cirrhosis and decompensated liver disease. Interferon and nucleotide medicine can restrain the duplication of HBVDNA and control the disease development. But the curative effect depends on the immune function of the patients. The immune function plays an important role during the treatment of chronic Hepatitis B. It was reported that psychological intervention can enhance the immune function of patients with cancer, but there are still no reports about whether psychological intervention can improve the immune function in patients with chronic Hepatitis B in China. We need making an exploration on it.Object:To evaluate the effect of psychological intervention on immune function in the patients with chronic Hepatitis B. The evaluation was carried out by observing whether psychological intervention can improve the patients' frame of mind, whether CD8+T lymphocyte or NK cell will be activated, and whether the concentration of IFN-αin serum will increase after the psychological intervention treatment.Methods:The research involved 62 consecutive in-patients with chronic hepatitis B enrolled in Jinan infectious disease hospital between 2007 and 2008. There were 32 patients in the mental intervention group and 30 patients in the control group. 32 patients received psychological intervention three times a week, and at the same time they took medicines with the effect of protecting liver and received antiviral treatment. The patients in control group only received liver-protecting and antiviral treatment. The course of treatment is 8 weeks. The levels of NK cell, CD8~+ T lymphocyte (by flow cytometry) and IFN-α(by enzyme linked immunosorbent assays)in peripheral blood of the 62 patients were examined before and after therapy. In both groups psychological and immune parameter variables were evaluated two times with BFS before and after the treatment.Results:(1) At the end of the treatment, in the psychological intervention group the scores of activity, joviality and equability enhanced significantly (P<0. 05) , the scores of indignation, dumps and debility decreased significantly (P<0.05) , but the scores of excitement and consideration did not appear obvious change (P>0. 05) ; while in the control group there was no obvious change in all of these psychological parameter variables (P>0. 05) .(2) After the treatment the levels of CD8~+ T lymphocyte, NK cell in all the patients changed slightly (P>0. 05) compared with those before treatment; but the levels of CD8~+ T lymphocyte, NK cell in the psychological intervention group was significantly higher than those in the control group at the end of the treatment (P<0. 05) .(3) The levels of CD8+T DR, NK DR in the patients who received psychological intervention increased significantly (P<0.05) after the treatment; while in the control group the level of serum IFN-αdecreased obviously (P<0.05) after the treatment.(4) In the patients who received psychological intervention the level of serum IFN-αincreased slightly after the treatment (P>0. 05) ; while in the control group the level of serum IFN-αdecreased obviously after the treatment (P<0. 05) . At the end of the treatment the level of serum IFN-αin the patients who received psychological intervention was higher than that in the control group (P<0. 05) .(5) According this study , there are the positive correlation between the score of activity,joviality and the level of CD8+T DR,NK DR,serum IFNα; the positive correlation between the score of equability and the level of NK cell; the negative correlation between the score of indignation,dumps and debility and the level of CD8+T DR; the negative correlation between the score of dumps and debility and the level of NK cell; the negative correlation between the score of indignation,dumps and the level of NK DR.(6) Further more, at the end of treatment the level of HBeAg decreased more obviously in the psychological intervention group than in control group (P<0.05) .But there is no difference in the decrease of the load of HBV DNA between two groups (P>0.05) .Conclusion:(1) Psychological intervention can improve patients' frame of mind by enhancing their activity, joviality and equability and decreasing their indignation, dumps and debility.(2) The level of CD8~+ T lymphocyte, NK cell, serum IFN-α, CD8+T DR and NK DR increased after the psychological intervention treatment, which suggests that psychological intervention can reinforce immune function of the patients with chronic Hepatitis B.(3) There are the positive correlation between activity,joviality,equability and cellular immunity. There are the negative correlation between indignation,dumps and debility and cellular immunity.(4) The level of HBeAg decreased more obviously after psychological intervention, so we can think that psychological intervention can efficiently assist antiviral treatment.
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