The therapeutic effect of IL-21 combined with IFN-γ inducing CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells differentiation on hepatocellular carcinoma

[Display omitted] •In patients with HCC with prolonged survival time, the number of CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells increased significantly.•IL-21 combined with INF-γ induce stem cells to differentiate into CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells, which can induce apoptosis of HepG2 cells.•HBV inhibits the number and function of CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells.•Treg cells regulates CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells.•CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells induced by IL-21 combined with INF-γ can inhibit the growth of liver cancer. Liver cancer is a malignant tumor with high incidence and short survival time. In order to increase the cure rate and disease-free survival rate of liver cancer, it is necessary to seek effective treatment methods. The objective of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic effects of IL-21 and IFN-γ inducing the formation of CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells on liver cancer. The methods of analyze the relationship between CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells and the survival time of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and study the effect of IL-21 combined with IFN-γ in inducing stem cells to differentiate into CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells. The effects of IL-21 combined with IFN-γ induced CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells on liver cancer were studied through animal experiments, and the regulatory mechanism, and the effect of hepatitis B virus (HBV) on it. The study found that the number of CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells in serum of liver cancer patients with prolonged survival time increased significantly, the expression of CD4, CD57, and CXCR5 in the tumor microenvironment increased, and the serum IL-21 and IFN-γ concentrations increased. IL-21 and IFN-γ induce stem cells to differentiate into CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells and induce HepG2 cells apoptosis. HBV leads to a decrease in the number of CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells and a chronic inflammatory response. Treg cells can regulate CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells. IL-21 combined with IFN-γ induced an increase in the number of CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells in hepatocarcinoma-bearing mice, which has an inhibitory effect on H22 liver cancer. The conclusion of the study is that IL-21 combined with IFN-γ induces stem cells to differentiate into CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells, Treg can control the increase in their number, and HBV can cause their number to decrease, which can control the growth of liver cancer.