title: Evidence of hepatitis C virus-specific interferon gamma-positive T cells in health care workers in an infectious disease department.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies are available on possible hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific T-cell immune response in health care workers (HCWs) involved in the care of patients with HCV infection. We aimed to investigate whether a HCV-specific interferon (IFN)-gamma T-cell response, known to be involved in infection resolution, was present in those HCWs involved in the management of patients with persistent HCV infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study involved 30 subjects, classified as group A (20 consecutive patients, 16 males and 4 females, with histologically proven chronic hepatitis), or group B (10 HCWs, 7 males and 3 females, with at least 7 years of health care experience and HCV-RNA and anti-HCV negative). As a control group, we used 10 blood samples from healthy donors at a blood donor center (group C). HCV-RNA was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Blood samples (at least 35 mL) were collected from all group A and group B subjects in our hospital. Specific IFN-gamma was stimulated with HCV pool peptides (core, 2 microg/mL), with influenza Mp peptides used as a positive control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Levels of HCV-specific IFN-gamma-positive cells were higher in the HCWs (group B) compared with the infected patients (group A) and healthy blood donors (group C) (Mann-Whitney U test, P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A clinically silent persistent exposure to HCV, through some as-yet undetermined mechanism, may induce a virus-specific IFN-gamma-producing CD8(+) T-cell response in healthy aviremic HCWs. This finding suggests that possible unapparent parenteral routes may stimulate host defenses with no evidence of hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease and Immunology, Hospital D. Cotugno, Naples, Italy. Electronic address: alex.perrel@virgilio.it.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perrella
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease and Immunology, Hospital D. Cotugno, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grattacaso
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease and Immunology, Hospital D. Cotugno, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: d'Antonio
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease and Immunology, Hospital D. Cotugno, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Atripaldi
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease and Immunology, Hospital D. Cotugno, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Costanza
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sbreglia
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease and Immunology, Hospital D. Cotugno, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: MariaRosaria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gnarini
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, G.D'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Pio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Department, G.D'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Jacopo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vecchiet
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease and Immunology, Hospital D. Cotugno, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Oreste
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Perrella
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D007558:Italy; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; C448634:influenza matrix peptide (58-66); D007371:Interferon-gamma