Increased peroxide production by polymorphonuclear cells of chronic hepatitis C virus-infected patients.
To evaluate the oxidative burst in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production of polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells isolated from 15 chronic HCV-infected patients and 11 controls was assessed by flow cytometry in a time kinetic. Under nonstimulated and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-stimulated conditions, H2O2 production was higher in HCV-infected patients than in controls (P <0.05) at the time points of 20, 30, and 40 min. A positive correlation between H2O2 production by PMA-stimulated cells and serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase was found in the HCV-infected patients (r = 0.877, P <0.01 and r = 0.9351, P <0.001, respectively). RT-PCR analysis of purified mononuclear (MN) and PMN cells from HCV-infected patients revealed the presence of HCV RNA in 60% of MN and 27% of PMN cell samples. These results suggest that a functional alteration of PMN cells is manifested in this chronic viral infection which may represent an additional factor in the development of liver lesions.
Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Apartado 50109, Caracas, 1050-A, Venezuela.
F
F
Toro
A
A
Conesa
A
A
Garcia
N E
NE
Bianco
J B
JB
De Sanctis
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis; D016897:Respiratory Burst / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
D012313:RNA; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate