title: Cytokine profiles, CTL response and T cell frequencies in the peripheral blood of acute patients and individuals recovered from hepatitis E infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis E is a major public health problem in the developing countries. Pathogenesis of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is poorly understood.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case-control study included 124 Hepatitis E patients (46 acute and 78 recovered), 9 with prior exposure to HEV and 71 anti-HEV negative healthy controls. HEV induced CTL response by Elispot, cytokines/chemokines quantitation by Milliplex assay and peripheral CD4+ & CD8+ T cell frequencies by flow cytometry were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the patient categories, HEV specific IFN-γ responses as recorded by Elispot were comparable. Comparisons of cytokines/chemokines revealed significantly high levels of IL-1α and sIL-2Rα during acute phase. Circulating peripheral CD4/CD8+ T-cell subsets in acute and recovered individuals were comparable compared to controls, while among patient categories CD8+T cell subset was significantly higher in recovered individuals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that IL-1α and sIL-2Rα play a role in the pathogenesis of acute Hepatitis E infection. Lack of robust HEV ORF2-specific CTL response in the peripheral blood of HEV infected patients during the acute and recovered phases of the disease may be associated with involvement of innate immune cells/localization of the immune events at the site of infection.
authors.affiliation: Hepatitis Group, National Institute of Virology, Pune, India. anuradhastripathy@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Anuradha S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Tripathy
authors.forename: Rumki
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Sanjay B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Rathod
authors.forename: Vidya A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Arankalle
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D053582:Interleukin-1alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000166:cytology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D053582:Interleukin-1alpha; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; C400971:ORF2 protein, Hepatitis E virus; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins