Effects of interferon-alpha treatment on neutrophil oxidative metabolism, lymphocyte proliferation and monocyte HLA class I antigen expression in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
Polymorphonuclear cell (PMN) oxidative metabolism, lymphocyte polyclonal proliferation and monocyte HLA class I antigen expression were evaluated at different intervals of time in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CH-C) subjected to a 6 month interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) treatment and divided into Responder ('R') and Nonresponder ('NR') subsets according to clinical outcome. Before therapy, all subjects exhibited multiple immune alterations even if to a different extent between 'R' and 'NR' subsets: an elevated superoxide anion (O2-) generation by suspended PMN, a failure to further increase neutrophil oxidative responsiveness under adherence conditions, an augmented phytohaemagglutin-induced lymphocyte proliferative capacity and an enhanced HLA class I antigen expression on CD14+ cells. IFN-alpha administration gave rise to a modulation of oxidative response in 'R' group only, since these individuals displayed an O2- release by suspended and adherent PMN which fell within normal values. At the same time, a decrease of lymphocyte proliferation occurred in both groups of patients during IFN-alpha therapy, even if it reached statistical significance in 'R' group only. Finally, a more marked difference between 'R' and 'NR' individuals was noted in terms of HLA class I antigen induction on CD14+ cells at the end of therapy, as a consequence of a reduced expression of these structures in 'NR' subjects. Altogether, these findings suggest the occurrence of a strict relationship between immunoresponsiveness and IFN-alpha induced therapeutical effects in CH-C patients.
Piazzolla
G
G
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Bari Medical School, Italy.
Giannelli
G
G
Antonelli
G
G
Tortorella
C
C
Jirillo
E
E
Schiraldi
O
O
Antonaci
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000187:drug effects; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
D006680:HLA Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D016898:Interferon-alpha