[Function of dendritic cell in chronic hepatitis C patients].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the relation between dendritic cell (DC) and the persistence of HCV in chronic hepatitis C.


METHODS
The mononuclear cells were separated from the peripheral blood and cultured with the AIM-V serum-free culture to induce DC. The shape and the ultrastructure of DC, the phenotype of DC, the capacity of DC to induce allogeneicly naive T cell proliferation and the level of cytokines in supernant were investigated.


RESULTS
The expression rate of CD(86) in HCV-DC was (52.4 +/- 13.3)%, which was obviously lower than that of normal-DC [(83.7 +/- 15.8)%, P < 0.01]; The capacity of proliferation of HCV-DC to induce allogeneic T cell (cpm: 19 245 +/- 2 788) was obviously lower than that of the normal-DC (cpm: 26 529 +/- 3 218) (P < 0.01); In mixed lymphocyte reaction, the average of IL-12 p(40) and interferon (IFN)gamma in HCV-DC was (404 +/- 103) ng/L and (7 891 +/- 821) ng/L, which was obviously lower than (802 +/- 205) ng/L and (13 490 +/- 1 554) ng/L of the normal-DC (P < 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
The function of DC in patients with chronic hepatitis C is decreased, suggesting that it is related to the persistent infection of HCV.
Department of Infetious Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China. lixg75@0451.com
Xiaoguang
X
Li
Shulan
S
Lu
Guiqiang
G
Wang
Bei
B
Yue
Zhihong
Z
Wang
D000328:Adult; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology