title: Behavior of soluble HLA-A, -B, -C and HLA-G molecules in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection undergoing pegylated interferon-α and ribavirin treatment: potential role as markers of response to antiviral therapy.
abstract: The serum levels of soluble HLA class I antigens (sHLA-A, -B, -C and sHLA-G) were determined in 40 HCV genotype 1-infected patients before (T0), after 3, 6, and 12 months (T3, T6, and T12) of pegylated-IFN-α plus ribavirin therapy and 6 months (T18) after the end of treatment. Twenty patients were sustained virological responders (SVR), and 20 were non-responders (NR). sHLA-A, -B, -C levels at T0were significantly higher in both SVR (mean 10.48 μg/ml) and NR (mean 11.87 μg/ml) patients as compared to healthy controls (mean 0.34 μg/ml, p < 0.0001) and HIV-infected subjects (mean 1.22 μg/ml, p < 0.0001). sHLA-G levels at T0were significantly higher in SVR (mean 24.78 ng/ml) and NR (mean 24.93 ng/ml) patients as compared to healthy controls (mean 10.34 ng/ml, p = 0.015 and p = 0.014, respectively) but were lower as compared to HIV-infected subjects (mean 48.00 ng/ml, p < 0.0001). The levels of sHLA-A, -B, -C and sHLA-G significantly decreased in SVR from T0to T18(mean 1.64 and 1.43 ng/ml, respectively, p < 0.0001) and correlated with HCV-RNA, AST, ALT, γGT, and ALP levels. The determination of soluble HLA class I levels could be proposed as a surrogate marker to discriminate SVR and NR HCV-infected patients during PEG-IFN-α plus ribavirin therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Immunology Unit, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, n. 6, 16132, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Murdaca
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Immunology Unit, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, n. 6, 16132, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Contini
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Immunology Unit, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, n. 6, 16132, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cagnati
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Genoa, 16132, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marenco
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Genoa, 16132, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Biostatistic Unit, University of Genoa, 16132, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lantieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Genoa, 16132, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Picciotto
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Immunology Unit, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, n. 6, 16132, Genoa, Italy. puppof@unige.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Puppo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D054316:Biomarkers, Pharmacological / Q000097:blood*; D060085:Coinfection; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006678:HIV / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015235:HLA-B Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015236:HLA-C Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D059951:HLA-G Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D054316:Biomarkers, Pharmacological; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D015236:HLA-C Antigens; D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b
keywords: HCV; HLA-G; Interferon-α; Ribavirin; Soluble HLA