Fig 1. B-cell subsets during Peg-IFN-α therapy.

(A) B-cell gating strategy. The peripheral B-cell subsets were classified according to the most common lineage/differentiation markers CD19, CD10, CD27, CD38, IgD, and IgM. B-cell subsets were defined as: transitional B cells (CD19⁺CD27^-IgD⁺CD10⁺CD38^high); naive B cells (CD19⁺CD27^-IgD⁺CD10^-CD38^low); natural memory B cells (CD19⁺CD27⁺IgD⁺); post-GC memory B cells (CD19⁺CD27⁺IgD^-CD10^-CD38^low); plasmablasts (CD19⁺CD27⁺IgD^-CD10^- CD38^high); CD27^-IgD^- memory B cells (CD19⁺CD27^-IgD^-) and activated B cells (CD19⁺CD27⁺IgD^-CD10⁺CD38^low). Post-GC memory B cells were further subdivided into IgM⁺ and IgM^- switched B cells. Representative dotplots from one patient with CHB infection. (B) Modulation of total B cells by Peg-IFN-α. Frequency (within PBMC) and absolute numbers of total B cells in patients with CHB infection treated with nucleos(t)ide analog alone (open circles, n = 11–14) or together with Peg-IFN-α (black circles, n = 8–9). The gray area represents the period of Peg-IFN-α administration. Bars represent median. P values were calculated using the Wilcoxon test (straight lines) or the Mann-Whitney test (dashed lines). * p<0.05, ** p<0.01, *** p<0.001.