title: Monocyte-derived dendritic cells in children with chronic hepatitis C: correlation with interferon and ribavirin therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major health problem worldwide. Defective dendritic cell (DC) activation of T cells may underlie poor T-cell responsiveness in HCV infection.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the DCs' functions in chronically infected HCV patients and its correlation with the response to therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study included 30 chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients and 30 healthy age-matched and sex-matched controls. The first group received combined pegylated interferon-α-2b (Peg-IFN-α2b)/ribavirin therapy for 48 weeks. A quantitative HCV-RNA PCR was performed for all patients before treatment and at 12, 24, 48, and 24 weeks after treatment. To clarify the functions of DCs, we induced maturation of peripheral DCs from blood samples of CHC patients and healthy controls using Resiquimod (R848). The functions of DCs were assessed by measurement of the levels of IFN-γ and interleukin-10 (IL-10).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen (53.3%) of the patients were treatment responders and the other 14 (46.4%) were nonresponders. The current study showed a statistically significant difference between CHC patients and the control group in IFN-γ production, which was higher in the control group (1.53±0.38 IU/ml) than in the CHC patients (1.19±0.21 IU/ml); in contrast, IL-10 was higher in CHC (249.4±27.6 pg/ml) than the control group (217.0±29.9 pg/ml). However, there was no significant difference between treatment responders and nonresponders in both IFN-γ and IL-10 levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HCV infection is associated with impaired production of IFN-γ, which may be an indication of a defect in DC function.
authors.affiliation: aPediatric Department, National Liver Institute, Menofia University bPediatric Department, Quesna Central Hospital, Ministry of Health, Menofia cImmunology Research Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohammed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Khedr
authors.forename: Behairy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: E Behairy
authors.forename: Mohsen E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hussein
authors.forename: Ayman M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Marei
authors.forename: Salma A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Nage
authors.forename: Haidy M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Zakaria
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b