title: Tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 expression is upregulated in dendritic cells in patients with chronic HCV who respond to therapy.
abstract: The present studies assessed the level of tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) subsets from patients with chronic HCV undergoing interferon α/ribavirin-based therapy (Ifn/R). Methods. TNFR family member mRNA expression was determined using quantitative real-time PCR assays (RTPCRs) in PBMC from 39 HCV+ patients and 21 control HCV- patients. Further subset analysis of HCV + patients (untreated (U), sustained virological responders (SVR), and nonresponders (NR)/relapsers (Rel)) PBMC was performed via staining with anti-CD123, anti-CD33, anti-TNFR1 or via RTPCR for TNFR1 mRNA. Results. A similar level of TNFR1 mRNA in PBMC from untreated HCV+ genotype 1 patients and controls was noted. TNFR1 and TNFR2 mRNA levels in PBMC from HCV+ patients with SVR were statistically different than levels in HCV(-) patients. A significant difference was noted between the peak values of TNFR1 of the CD123+ PBMC isolated from SVR and the NR/Rel. Conclusion. Upregulation of TNFR1 expression, occurring in a specific subset of CD123+ dendritic cells, appeared in HCV+ patients with SVR.
authors.affiliation: Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390-9151, USA.
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cubillas
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kintner
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Nitin J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Karandikar
authors.forename: Dwain L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Thiele
authors.forename: Geri R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Brown