title: CD100 up-regulation induced by interferon-α on B cells is related to hepatitis C virus infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  CD100, also known as Sema4D, is a member of the semaphorin family and has important regulatory functions that promote immune cell activation and responses. The role of CD100 expression on B cells in immune regulation during chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  We longitudinally investigated the altered expression of CD100, its receptor CD72, and other activation markers CD69 and CD86 on B cells in 20 chronic HCV-infected patients before and after treatment with pegylated interferon-alpha (Peg-IFN-α) and ribavirin (RBV) by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of CD5+ B cells as well as the expression levels of CD100, CD69 and CD86 was significantly increased in chronic HCV patients and returned to normal in patients with sustained virological response after discontinuation of IFN-α/RBV therapy. Upon IFN-α treatment, CD100 expression on B cells and the two subsets was further up-regulated in patients who achieved early virological response, and this was confirmed by in vitro experiments. Moreover, the increased CD100 expression via IFN-α was inversely correlated with the decline of the HCV-RNA titer during early-phase treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Peripheral B cells show an activated phenotype during chronic HCV infection. Moreover, IFN-α therapy facilitates the reversion of disrupted B cell homeostasis, and up-regulated expression of CD100 may be indirectly related to HCV clearance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Center of liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Center of liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yonghong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Center of liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Center of liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Center of liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Center of liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Guangxi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Center of liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Center of liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhiyuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Center of liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jianqi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lian
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Center of liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chunqiu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Center of liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China; Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, United States of America.
authors.forename: Zhi Q
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Center of liver Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhansheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism*; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte / Q000378:metabolism; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D039961:Semaphorins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D000998:Antiviral Agents; C093224:CD100 antigen; C064228:CD72 protein, human; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D039961:Semaphorins