Results showed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of IL-23R in liver tissue infected with hepatitis B were significantly higher than in tissues from healthy controls (Figure 3A and 3B). Most of the IL-23R+ cells were located in the portal tract, and the frequency of IL-23R+ cells in liver tissue of patients with hepatitis B was remarkably higher than in liver from healthy controls (Figure 3C and 3D). Furthermore, the expression of IL-23R was significantly correlated with IL-23 in liver tissue with hepatitis B (P<0.001, Figure 3E). This evidence concerns the gene IL23A and hepatitis B virus infection.