Modulation of Immune Cell Subsets by Hepatitis C Virus and Antiviral Therapy in Early Virological Response HCV Genotype 4-Infected Patients with Compensated Liver Disease

Background: Resolution of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection requires a complicated interaction between immune cell subsets. The effect of antiviral therapy on immune cell subsets remains to be defined. This study aimed to investigate the absolute count of certain immune cell subsets during t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Medical principles and practice 2021-04, Vol.30 (2), p.168-177
Main Authors: Essa, Sahar, Al-Attiyah, Raja’a, Siddique, Iqbal, Al-Nakib, Widad
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antibodies
Antiviral drugs
Cytotoxicity
Genotype & phenotype
Hepatitis
Hepatitis C
Infections
Liver diseases
Lymphocytes
Original Paper
Patients
Reagents
Software
Statistical analysis
Viral infections
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Summary:Background: Resolution of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection requires a complicated interaction between immune cell subsets. The effect of antiviral therapy on immune cell subsets remains to be defined. This study aimed to investigate the absolute count of certain immune cell subsets during therapy with pegylated interferon-α and ribavirin (PegIFN/RBV). Materials and Methods: Sixty HCV genotype 4-infected patients with compensated liver disease were treated with PegIFN/RBV therapy for 52 weeks. Efficacy was measured by studying the early virological response (EVR) at post-therapy week 12. Absolute counts of mature T cells, T helper cells, T cytotoxic cells, activated T cells, natural killer cells, natural killer/T (NKT) cells, B cells, and T regulatory cells (Treg), and the ratio of T helper to T cytotoxic cells were longitudinally analyzed by flow cytometry throughout the treatment and follow-up course. Results: Of the 60 genotype 4-infected subjects, 39 (65%) had EVR and 21 (35%) were non-EVR patients. In the first part of this study, there were significantly lower mean absolute count values of mature T, T cytotoxic, B, and NKT cells. Also, we detected statistically significantly lower mean values for the percentages of T cytotoxic, NKT, Treg, and activated T cells of HCV-infected patients at baseline values when compared with healthy subjects. After the initiation of PegIFN/RBV therapy, frequencies of T helper cells, activated T cells, Treg cells, B cells, and T helper:T cytotoxic ratio were found to be significantly lower in EVR patients than in non-EVR patients (p < 0.05). In contrast, frequencies of T cytotoxic and NKT cells were significantly increased in EVR patients when compared to non-EVR patients (p < 0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest a pattern of higher levels of T cytotoxic and NKT cells, and lower levels of T helper, activated T, Treg, and B cell populations in patients who respond favorably to PegIFN/RBV therapy.
ISSN:1011-7571
1423-0151
DOI:10.1159/000511783