Visual demonstration of hepatitis C virus-specific memory CD8(+) T-cell expansion in patients with acute hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific CD8(+) T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients infected with HCV were quantitatively analyzed by flow cytometry using an HLA-B*3501-HCV epitope tetrameric complex. In chronic hepatitis C, tetramer(+)CD8(+) T cells were detected at frequencies ranging from 0.05% to 0.12% of total CD8(+) T cells. The number of tetramer(+)CD8(+) T cells in acute phase PBMCs from patients with acute hepatitis C was about 3 to 5 times higher than in recovery phase PBMCs from the same patients and in PBMCs from patients with chronic hepatitis C. Expanding tetramer(+)CD8(+) T cells in PBMCs from patients with acute hepatitis C express a CD28(+)CD45RA(-) memory T-cell phenotype. In contrast, tetramer(+)CD8(+) T cells in PBMCs from patients with chronic hepatitis C did not predominantly express this phenotype. These tetramer(+)CD8(+) T cells did not have perforin in their cytoplasma. The present study visually showed that a high number of circulating HCV-specific CD8(+) T cells in acute phase PBMCs from patients with acute hepatitis C are mostly memory T cells.
Sobao
Y
Y
Division of Viral Immunology, Center for AIDS Research, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Kumamoto, Japan.
Tomiyama
H
H
Nakamura
S
S
Sekihara
H
H
Tanaka
K
K
Takiguchi
M
M
D000208:Acute Disease; D000210:Acute-Phase Reaction / Q000473:pathology; D018106:CD28 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015797:HLA-B35 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D009000:Monocytes / Q000473:pathology; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014764:Viral Proteins
D018106:CD28 Antigens; D015797:HLA-B35 Antigen; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D014764:Viral Proteins; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens