Assessment of the effect of ribavirin on myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells during interferon-based therapy of chronic hepatitis B patients.
The combination of ribavirin and peginterferon is the current standard of anti-viral treatment for chronic HCV patients. However, little is known on the mode of action of ribavirin in the anti-viral treatment of HCV patients. To investigate the immunomodulatory mechanism of ribavirin, we studied peginterferon alone versus peginterferon and ribavirin in chronic HBV patients. The addition of ribavirin did not affect the number of myeloid dendritic cells (mDC) or plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC), nor did it enhance T-helper-1 cell activity or T-cell proliferation. In contrast, it increased upregulation of activation markers on mDC and pDC, which was sustained throughout treatment. However, the addition of ribavirin had no effect on IFNα production by pDC. Our findings demonstrate that, although ribavirin does not lead to a viral load decline, in vivo treatment with ribavirin affects the activation of pDC and mDC in chronic HBV patients.
Liver Unit, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, 's Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Arjan
A
Boltjes
Marjoleine L
ML
Op den Brouw
Paula J
PJ
Biesta
Rekha S
RS
Binda
Renate G
RG
van der Molen
Andre
A
Boonstra
Harry L A
HL
Janssen
Andrea M
AM
Woltman
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D019562:Viral Load / Q000187:drug effects
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a