Interferon therapy shifts natural killer subsets among Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C.
Natural killer cells can be divided into five subpopulations based on the relative expression of CD16 and CD56 markers. The majority of natural killer cells are CD56(dim), which are considered to be the main cytotoxic effectors. A minority of the natural killer cells are CD56(bright), and function as an important source of immune-regulatory cytokines. Shifts of these subsets have been reported in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. We sought to investigate the shift of natural killer subsets among Egyptian patients with chronic HCV and to analyze the influence of interferon therapy on this shift. We applied a flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood natural killer subsets for 12 interferon-untreated and 12 interferon-treated patients with chronic HCV, in comparison to 10 control subjects. Among interferon-untreated patients, there was a significant reduction of CD56⁻16(+) (immature natural killer) cells. Among interferon-treated patients, the absolute count of natural killer cells was reduced, with expansion of the CD56(bright) subset and reduction of the CD56(dim)16(+) subset. Natural killer subset counts were not significantly correlated to HCV viral load and were not significantly different among interferon responders and non-responders. In conclusion, HCV infection in Egyptian patients has been observed to be statistically and significantly associated with reduction of the CD56⁻16(+)NK subset, while a statistically significant expansion of CD56(bright) and reduction of CD56(dim)16(+) subsets were observed after interferon therapy. Further studies are required to delineate the molecular basis of interferon-induced shift of natural killer subsets among patients with HCV.
Department of Clinical Pathology, Suez Canal University, Egypt. mlfathy@yahoo.com
Amal
A
Fathy
Mohamed Mohy
MM
Eldin
Lobna
L
Metwally
Mohamed
M
Eida
Marwa
M
Abdel-Rehim
Gamal
G
Esmat
D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000187:drug effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D007372:Interferons