Prevalence of production of virus-specific interferon-gamma among seronegative hepatitis C-resistant subjects reporting injection drug use.
This report describes subjects who were highly likely to have been repeatedly exposed to hepatitis C virus (HCV) through injection drug use and who remained negative for anti-HCV antibody. Production of virus-specific interferon- gamma by peripheral blood mononuclear cells was seen in the majority of subjects (72%) and was associated with higher-risk behavior. For 92% of the subjects, results of recombinant immunoblot assays demonstrated faint bands against nonstructural proteins. The immune responses described are likely to have been primed and maintained by episodes of subclinical infection without classic seroconversion and may indicate a hepatitis C-resistant phenotype. Vaccine strategies to mimic this response may provide protection against persistent HCV infection.
Freeman
Anthony J
AJ
Department of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. freemanto@sesahs.nsw.gov.au
Ffrench
Rosemary A
RA
Post
Jeffrey J
JJ
Harvey
Charles E
CE
Gilmour
Stuart J
SJ
White
Peter A
PA
Marinos
George
G
van Beek
Ingrid
I
Rawlinson
William D
WD
Lloyd
Andrew R
AR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000276:immunology
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma