title: Dynamic changes in CD45RA(-)Foxp3(high) regulatory T-cells in chronic hepatitis C patients during antiviral therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  CD4(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T-cells (Treg) are known to accumulate under certain pathological conditions. This study was conducted to evaluate the characteristics of and dynamic changes in Treg cells in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients during antiviral therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and forty-five subjects were enrolled in this study, including 105 CHC patients and 40 healthy donors. The phenotypes and functions of Treg cells were analyzed by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant elevation in Treg cells was observed in the peripheral blood of CHC patients compared with healthy donors. Interestingly, compared with non-suppressive Treg (non-Treg) and resting Treg (rTreg) cells, activated Treg (aTreg) cells expressed higher levels of ectonucleotidase, CD39, and CD73. After treatment with interferon alpha (IFN-α) and ribavirin (RBV) in vitro, the frequencies of total Treg cells and aTreg cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), as well as the levels of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) secreted by aTreg and non-Treg cells, were significantly decreased. Importantly, it was found that levels of aTreg cells in patients with a sustained virological response (SVR) were lower than in relapsed patients, suggesting that a high frequency of aTreg cells might be associated with a poor clinical outcome in HCV infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate a decreasing trend in aTreg cells, which express higher levels of CD39, CD73, and TGF-β, in SVR patients during antiviral therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China; Biotherapy Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1 Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Zhiqin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1 Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China; School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ping
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Zujiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1 Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1 Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Dongli
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1 Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Henan Red Cross Blood Center, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
authors.forename: Jianbin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1 Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China; Department of Medicine-Division of Hematology/Oncology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou 450000, Henan, China. Electronic address: xzshi@zzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xuezhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Biotherapy Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1 Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China; School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China; Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China. Electronic address: yizhang@zzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012254:Ribavirin; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens
keywords: HCV antiviral therapy; IFN-α; Ribavirin; Treg cells