Autoantibodies to CD69 in patients with chronic hepatitis type C: a candidate marker for predicting the response to interferon therapy.
OBJECTIVE
To understand the autoimmunity associated with chronic hepatitis C (CHC), we investigated autoantibodies (autoAbs) to CD69.


METHODS
With this aim, we tested the reactivity of serum samples from patients with CHC and asymptomatic carriers of hepatitis C virus (HCV), as well as from patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), to recombinant CD69 molecules.


RESULTS
Frequencies of anti-CD69 autoAbs were 38.7% in CHC, 15.8% in AIH and 12.3% in CHB. None of the tested asymptomatic HCV carriers had autoAbs to CD69. It is important clinically that the presence of anti-CD69 autoAbs was found to be associated with a poor response to interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) therapy. In the epitope analysis, multiple epitopes were mapped on CD69, indicating antigen-driven production of the autoAbs.


CONCLUSIONS
We evidenced existence of anti-CD69 autoAbs in patients with CHC, and found that the anti-CD69 autoAb may have potential for predicting responses to IFN-alpha therapy.
Okamoto
Nahoko
N
Rheumatology, Immunology and Genetics Program, Institute of Medical Science, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan.
Yotsuyanagi
Hiroshi
H
Ooka
Seido
S
Matsui
Toshihiro
T
Suzuki Kurokawa
Manae
M
Suzuki
Michihiro
M
Iino
Shiro
S
Nishioka
Kusuki
K
Kato
Tomohiro
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology*; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000099192:CD69 Antigens
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D000099192:CD69 Antigens