Hyperactivation of peripheral CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells in patients with HBV-PLC.

<p>Percentages of HLA-DR -expressed cells (HLA-DR %) among the CD4^<b>+</b> T cells (A) and CD8^<b>+</b> T cells (B) of the peripheral blood were compared between the patients with CHB, those with HBV-LC and those with HBV-PLC. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.</p

Decreased peripheral lymphocyte subpopulations in patients with HBV-PLC.

<p>The concentrations of the peripheral blood T lymphocytes (A), NK cells (B), B cells (C), CD4⁺ T cells (D), CD8⁺ T cells (E) were compared between patients with CHB, those with HBV-LC and those with HBV-PLC. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. abs cnt: absolute count.</p

Patient basic characteristics.

<p>Patient basic characteristics.</p

Elevated NLR in patients with HBV-PLC.

<p>NLR (A), percentage (B) and concentration (C) of peripheral blood neutrophils, and percentage (D) and concentration (E) of peripheral blood lymphocytes were compared between patients with CHB, those with HBV-LC and those with HBV-PLC. In addition, NLR (F), percentage (G) and concentration (H) of peripheral neutrophils, and percentage (I) and concentration (J) of peripheral lymphocytes were compared between patients with Okuda I, II and III HBV-LC. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. abs cnt: absolute count.</p

Decreased peripheral recent thymic output in patients with HBV-PLC.

<p>Percentages of CD31⁺ -expressed cells (CD31%) among the CD45RA⁺CD4⁺ T cells (A) and CD45RA⁺CD8⁺ T cells (B) of the peripheral blood were compared between the patients with CHB, those with HBV-LC and those with HBV-PLC. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.</p

New algorithm for predicting gastroesophageal varices

<p>We retrospectively analyzed 659 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection and 410 patients in our medical center, from October, 2015 to December, 2017. We set 659 CHB patients as training set, and 410 patients with other chronic liver diseases as validation set. Logistic regression analysis between the conventional markers and the performances of GOV detected by endoscopy were assessed. A new algorithm for diagnosing GOV was established and its sensitivity and specificity for predicting the varices was verified.</p

Ribozyme expression in cells assayed using Northern blot analysis.

<p>RNA fractions (40 μg) from the parental U251 cells (-) and cells expressing different ribozymes (F-M1-IE, C-M1-IE, F-R228-IE, and C-R228-IE) were hybridized to probes for detection of human H1 RNA (internal control) (lanes 6–10) and ribozymes (lanes 1–5).</p

Levels of human β-actin (internal control) and viral proteins assayed by Western blot analysis.

<p>Protein fractions (60 μg) from the parental U251 cells (-) and cells expressing different ribozymes (F-M1-IE, F-R228-IE, and C-R228-IE) were reacted with antibodies for detection of human actin, IE1 protein, IE2 protein, and UL99 protein. We observed no expression of viral proteins in mock-infected U251 cells [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0186791#pone.0186791.ref030" target="_blank">30</a>–<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0186791#pone.0186791.ref032" target="_blank">32</a>] (data not shown).</p

Overall cleavage rate [(k_cat/K_m)^s] and binding affinity (K_d) in reactions of substrates ie-39 with RNase P ribozymes.

<p>The values are derived from experiments that were performed in triplicate and repeated three times. “ND”: not determined.</p

Levels of viral mRNAs assayed by Northern blot analysis.

<p>RNA fractions (45 μg) from the parental U251 cells (-) and cells expressing different ribozymes (F-M1-IE, F-R228-IE, and C-R228-IE) were hybridized to probes for detection of 5kb RNA, IE1 mRNA, IE2 mRNA, and US2 mRNA. We observed no expression of viral mRNAs in mock-infected U251 cells [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0186791#pone.0186791.ref030" target="_blank">30</a>–<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0186791#pone.0186791.ref032" target="_blank">32</a>].</p