title: Long-term effect on natural killer cells by interferon-α therapy on the outcomes of HCV infection.
abstract: Natural killer (NK) cells act as innate immune cells against hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Interferon-α (IFN-α) and ribavirin are the standard treatments for patients with HCV infection. This study is aimed at investigating the dynamic changes in the frequency of different subsets of NK cells following treatment in xx chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. CHC patients were treated with peg-IFN or IFN-α, and followed up for 72 weeks. The frequency of different subsets of NK in CHC patients was determined longitudinally by flow cytometry. Treatment with the standard therapy increased the percentages of NKp30(+), NKp46(+), and CD107a(+) NK cells, which were positively correlated with the declining of serum HCV-RNA, but not IFN-γ(+) NK cells. NKG2A(+) and KIR2DL3(+) NK cells were associated with an early virological response in CHC patients. Treatment with IFN-α adjusts the balance of activated receptors and inhibitory receptors and enhances the cytotoxic activity of NK cells. Therefore, measuring NK subsets may be valuable for therapeutic responses in CHC patients.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital, Jilin University , Changchun, China .
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yanfang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xiurong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yanhang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Xiumei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Hongqing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Junyan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Junqi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha