Fig 2. Impact of PegIFNα and sequential NUC therapy on NK cell numbers, proliferation and activation.

Cumulative longitudinal data demonstrating change in CD56^bright NK cells over the course of PegIFNα therapy by (A) percent and absolute cell number (median ± 95%CI), (n = 18). Change in the number of (B) CD56^bright NK cells and (C) CD56^dim NK cells (by percent and absolute number) in 9 paired cross-sectional samples in patients on sequential NUC therapy; showing pre-treatment numbers, last sampling treatment time-point on PegIFNα therapy and final sampling time-point on sequential NUC therapy. (D) Corresponding overall ALT, HBV DNA and HBsAg levels (mean + SEM) at the aforementioned sampling time-points. Proportion of CD56^bright NK cells expressing (E) Ki67 and (F) HLA-DR, in 9 paired samples, pre-treatment, on PegIFNα and sequential NUC therapy, with representative FACS plots at these time-points. Significant changes marked with asterisks, *P<0.05;**P<0.01; ***P<0.001, ns = not significant.