[Impact of pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin therapy of chronic hepatitis C on peripheral blood and intrahepatic lymphocytes].
The role of cellular immune response in pathogenesis of liver cell injury and course of chronic hepatitis C have been previously confirmed. The aim of this study was to determine the modification of T-lymphocyte subsets during pegylated interferon alpha (PegIFN) and ribavirin treatment and its correlation with response to the treatment.


METHODS
The assessment of subsets of intrahepatic lymphocytes and peripheral blood lymphocytes was done in 62 patients with chronic hepatitis C using flow cytometry and immunohistochemical method.


RESULTS
Significant increase in peripheral blood CD4+ cells, was observed in week 12 of treatment in patients with both complete and partial response to therapy. There were no significant modifications in nonspecific CD8+ subsets, but after 12 week of treatment in patients with response to therapy, decrease or lack of HCV-specific CD8+ cells were observed. The assessment of subsets of intrahepatic lymphocytes revealed a significantly higher percentage of CD8+ cells in pretreatment liver biopsies from patients with sustained viral response.


CONCLUSIONS
The results confirmed the impact of interferon alpha and ribavirin treatment on cellular response. Some immunological host factors should be considered in the early prognosis of successful treatment.
Tomasiewicz
Krzysztof
K
Uniwersytet Medyczny w Lublinie, Katedra i Klinika Chorób Zakaźnych. tomaskdr@tlen.pl
Modrzewska
Roma
R
Korobowicz
Elzbieta
E
D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001706:Biopsy; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011379:Prognosis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a