title: Peripheral lymphocyte subsets in chronic hepatitis C: Effects of 12 weeks of antiviral treatment with interferon-alpha plus ribavirin.
abstract: Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes a quantitative and functional alteration in innate and adaptative immunity. In the present work, we determined by flow-cytometry the profile of blood lymphocyte of untreated HCV patients and in subjects of this group that achieved or not an early virologic response at 12-weeks of treatment with interferon-α plus ribavirin. Twenty-six untreated HCV patients and 20 control healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. Untreated HCV patients had a higher proportion of B cell and a lower proportion of CD8(+) T cell and NK cells than healthy individuals did, but the proportions of CD4(+) T cells and Treg cells (CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+)) were similar in these patients and controls. Untreated HCV patients presenting cryoglobulinemia had a lower proportion of Treg cells and a lower Treg/NK cell ratio when compared with those without cryoglobulins. Nineteen out of 26 untreated HCV patients remained in the study and were treated with Interferon-α plus ribavirin. At 12-weeks of treatment, 10 of them achieved early virologic response (EVR), whereas 9 were non-responders (NR). EVR patients differed from NR patients in the increase of their proportion of NK cells at 12 weeks of treatment. In conclusion, untreated HCV patients exhibit an altered profile of blood lymphocyte subsets, including a reduction in the proportion of CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+)T regulatory cells in patients that present cryoglobulinemia. An early virological response at 12-weeks of treatment with IFN-α plus ribavirin seems to be associated a significant improvement in the proportion of NK cells of HCV treated patients.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Isabela S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Imunologia, Hospital Universitário Professor Edgard Santos, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucas P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Gastro-Hepatologia, Hospital Universitário Professor Edgard Santos, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Schinoni
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Gastro-Hepatologia, Hospital Universitário Professor Edgard Santos, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Raymundo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paraná
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, 40170115, Rua Barão de Jeremoabo s/n, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ajax M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Atta
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, 40170115, Rua Barão de Jeremoabo s/n, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Luiza B Sousa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Atta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012254:Ribavirin