Peripheral blood memory B cells are resistant to apoptosis in chronic hepatitis C patients.
Our recent study indicated that peripheral B cells in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients were infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). It was also demonstrated that the frequency of CD27(+) B cells, i.e. memory phenotype, was significantly reduced in the peripheral blood of CHC patients. An assumption was made by these findings that the CD27(+) B cells are susceptible to apoptosis when infected with HCV. Therefore, in this study, the susceptibility of CD27(+) B cells to apoptosis in CHC patients was analyzed. Contrary to our assumption, it was found that CD27(+) B cells are more resistant to apoptosis than the counterpart subset, i.e. CD27(-) B cells. The rationale for this finding is discussed with regard to the possible role for memory B cells as an HCV reservoir for persistent infection in CHC patients.
Mizuochi
Toshiaki
T
Department of Research on Blood and Biological Products, 4-7-1 Gakuen, Musashi-Murayama, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan. miz@nih.go.jp
Ito
Masahiko
M
Takai
Kenji
K
Yamaguchi
Kazunari
K
D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7 / Q000032:analysis
D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7