title: [Alteration of CD100 expression on natural killer cells in chronic patients with hepatitis C virus before and after initiation of antiviral treatment].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the changes of total natural killer (NK) cell number and its subset proportions and the expression levels of activation factor CD100 on NK cells in chronically hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients before and after initiation of antiviral treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The frequencies of total NK cells and their subsets as well as CD100 expression on NK cells in HCV infected patients were detected by flow cytometry. The level of soluble CD100 (sCD100) in serum was measured by ELISA. The correlations of CD100 with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and HCV-RNA were analyzed using Spearman correlation test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportion of CD56(dim) NK cell subset decreased, whereas CD56(neg) subset increased in chronic HCV infected patients as compared with healthy controls (P<0.05). The proportion of CD56(bright) NK cells was elevated and that of CD56(neg) NK subsets was reduced in HCV infected patients with early virological response (EVR) (P<0.05); however, total NK cells and their subsets returned to the normal in patients with sustained virological response (SVR) after the initiation of antiviral treatment. We also observed that sCD100 level declined significantly (P<0.05), whereas CD100 expression on NK cells slightly decreased as compared with healthy controls, but the difference was not statistically significant. The levels of sCD100 and CD100 expression on NK cells were markedly up-regulated in EVR patients (P<0.05) and dropped to the normal in SVR patients. Spearman correlation analysis showed that CD100 expression was positively related to ALT level and negatively associated with HCV-RNA titer in HCV infected patients (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Decreased CD100 expression may be associated with viral persistence. As one of immune molecules regulated by IFN-α, CD100 seems to be involved in HCV clearance by NK cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Center of Liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710038, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Center of Liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710038, China.
authors.forename: Bingjie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Center of Liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710038, China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Center of Liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710038, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Center of Liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710038, China.
authors.forename: Yonghong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Center of Liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710038, China.
authors.forename: Guangxi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Center of Liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710038, China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Center of Liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710038, China.
authors.forename: Zhansheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jia
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D039961:Semaphorins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000998:Antiviral Agents; C093224:CD100 antigen; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D039961:Semaphorins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D000410:Alanine Transaminase