Alteration of the Immune Microenvironment in HBsAg and HBeAg Dual-Positive Pregnant Women Presenting a High HBV Viral Load

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the differences in the immune microenvironment between HBV-infected pregnant women with a high HBV viral load and healthy pregnant women, with an emphasis on T cell subset alteration. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We compared the differences of cellular and molecular signatures between HBV-infected and healthy pregnant women by performing single-cell RNA and T cell receptor sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 51,836 women in the mid-trimester pregnancy stage. Specific trajectories of the different T clusters throughout the course of T cell differentiation were investigated. Flow cytometry was used to validate the proportion of different T cell subtypes. RESULTS: We identified nine cellular subtypes and found an increased proportion of effector/memory CD8+ T cells in HBV-infected pregnant women. Both CD4+ and CD8+ effector/memory T cells in HBV-related samples expressed higher levels of metallothionein (MT)-related genes (MT2A, MTIE, MTIF, MTIX), metal ion pathways, and multiple inflammatory responses. Among CD8+ T cell clusters, we identified a particular subset of effector/memory CD8+ T cells (CD8-cluster 2) with MTs as the top-ranking genes, which may be enriched in HBV-related samples. These cells showed an increased clonal expansion in HBV infection. Moreover, we found more active immune responses, according to cellular interaction patterns, between immune cell subsets in HBV-infected samples. CONCLUSION: This study shows significant differences between HBV-infected and healthy samples, including cell clusters, dominant gene sets, T cell function, clonal expansion, and V/J gene usage of T cell clonotypes, and identifies a distinct CD8+ T cell cluster with immune-active and antiviral properties. These findings pave the way for a deeper understanding of the impact of HBV infection on the immune microenvironment during pregnancy.