Treatment with PEG-interferon and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C increases neutrophil and monocyte chemotaxis.
The incidence of infections increases during treatment with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) for chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Despite a reduction in neutrophil count, there is no clear relationship between infection occurrence and neutropenia. In the present study we investigated whether HCV treatment alters leukocyte function. We studied cell chemotaxis, reactive oxygen species, neutrophil phagocytosis, CR3 expression, and plasma colony stimulating factors (CSF) in 20 healthy subjects and 20 patients with CHC (10 with cirrhosis) at baseline, during antiviral treatment (at 4, 12, 24 weeks), and 12 weeks after discontinuation. Our results demonstrate that neutrophil chemotaxis and oxidative burst significantly increased during treatment and returned to baseline at the end of therapy. CR3 neutrophil expression was enhanced in baseline CHC compared to controls but did not change during antiviral treatment. Chemotaxis, oxidative burst, phagocytosis, and CSF levels did not differ significantly between patients before treatment and control subjects or among CHC cases according to the presence of cirrhosis in either cell subpopulation. In conclusion, the innate immune cell activity is enhanced in patients with CHC during antiviral treatment and returns to normal after its discontinuation thus possibly playing a role in their susceptibility to infections.
Giorgini
Alessia
A
Division of Internal Medicine, San Paolo School of Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Capsoni
Franco
F
Podda
Mauro
M
Lleó
Ana
A
Battezzati
Pier Maria
PM
Ongari
Anna Maria
AM
Selmi
Carlo
C
Benetti
Alberto
A
Malinverno
Federica
F
Rossaro
Lorenzo
L
Gershwin
M Eric
ME
Zuin
Massimo
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000139:chemically induced; D039481:CD11b Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000187:drug effects*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000097:blood; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000097:blood; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D016177:Macrophage-1 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D039481:CD11b Antigen; C509295:ITGAM protein, human; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D016177:Macrophage-1 Antigen; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a