title: Impaired hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific interferon-γ responses in individuals with HIV who acquire HCV infection: correlation with CD4(+) T-cell counts.
abstract: Studies examining the effect of coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) on the HCV-specific immune response in acute HCV infection are limited. This study directly compared acute HCV-specific T-cell responses and cytokine profiles between 20 HIV/HCV-coinfected and 20 HCV-monoinfected subjects, enrolled in the Australian Trial in Acute Hepatitis C (ATAHC), using HCV peptide enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) and multiplex in vitro cytokine production assays. HIV/HCV coinfection had a detrimental effect on the HCV-specific cytokine production in acute HCV infection, particularly on HCV-specific interferon γ (IFN-γ) production (magnitude P = .004; breadth P = .046), which correlated with peripheral CD4(+) T-cell counts (ρ = 0.605; P = .005) but not with detectable HIV viremia (ρ = 0.152; P = .534).
authors.affiliation: Centre for Immunology, Burnet Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Jacqueline K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Flynn
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Dore
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hellard
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yeung
authors.forename: William D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Rawlinson
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kaldor
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.forename: Rosemary A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ffrench
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015331:Cohort Studies; D060085:Coinfection; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D058501:Enzyme-Linked Immunospot Assay; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D007371:Interferon-gamma