title: Association of interleukin-15-induced peripheral immune activation with hepatic stellate cell activation in persons coinfected with hepatitis C virus and HIV.
abstract: Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) mediate hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver fibrosis, and increased HSC activation in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/HCV coinfection may be associated with accelerated fibrosis. We examined the level of HSC activation in HIV/HCV-coinfected and HCV-monoinfected subjects and its relationship to the level of activation and gene expression of peripheral immune cells in coinfected subjects. HSC activation levels positively correlated with peripheral CD4+ and CD8+ T cell immune activation and were associated with enhanced interleukin-15 (IL-15) gene expression, suggesting a pathogenic role for IL-15-driven immunomediated hepatic fibrosis. Future strategies that reduce immune activation and HSC activation may delay progression of liver fibrosis.
authors: Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892-1876, USA.
authors: Robert D
authors: RD
authors: Allison
authors: Antonios
authors: A
authors: Katsounas
authors: Deloris E
authors: DE
authors: Koziol
authors: David E
authors: DE
authors: Kleiner
authors: Harvey J
authors: HJ
authors: Alter
authors: Richard A
authors: RA
authors: Lempicki
authors: Brad
authors: B
authors: Wood
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Yang
authors: Brandie
authors: B
authors: Fullmer
authors: Karoll J
authors: KJ
authors: Cortez
authors: Michael A
authors: MA
authors: Polis
authors: Shyam
authors: S
authors: Kottilil
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055612:Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D055166:Hepatic Stellate Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D019409:Interleukin-15