title: Evidence for immune activation in patients with residual hepatitis C virus RNA long after successful treatment with IFN and ribavirin.
abstract: Low-level hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA may persist in PBMCs after successful treatment of chronic hepatitis C, but the consequences of this phenomenon are unclear. Forty-nine patients who achieved a sustained virological response (SVR) after pegylated IFN and ribavirin therapy were analysed 52-66 months after the SVR. HCV RNA was detected in PBMCs from 18 patients (47.4 %), and PBMCs in two patients stained positive for non-structural protein 3 (NS3). Quantification of various cytokine and chemokine transcripts in PBMCs revealed that levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, TNF-α and macrophage inflammatory protein 1β were significantly higher in HCV-positive patients than in HCV-negative individuals. In conclusion, persistence of HCV RNA in PBMCs of patients with a SVR appears to be associated with immune activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunopathology, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Radkowski
authors.affiliation: Municipal Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Opoka-Kegler
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunopathology, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Kamila Caraballo
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Cortes
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunopathology, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bukowska-Ośko
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunopathology, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Karol
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Perlejewski
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunopathology, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pawełczyk
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunopathology, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laskus
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D054407:Chemokine CCL4 / Q000235:genetics; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053765:Interleukin-12 Subunit p35 / Q000235:genetics; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000235:genetics; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics; D019562:Viral Load; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases
chemical_list: D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D054407:Chemokine CCL4; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D053765:Interleukin-12 Subunit p35; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C508606:CXCL8 protein, human; C508858:IL12A protein, human; C508600:IL6 protein, human; C084422:NS3 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a