title: Regulatory and activated effector T cells in chronic hepatitis C virus: Relation to autoimmunity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate how Tregs are regulated in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) patientsviaassessment of Tregs markers (granzyme 2, CD69 and FoxP3), Teffs markers [TNFRSF4 (OX40), INFG] andCD4,CD25genes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was conducted on 120 subjects divided into 4 groups: Group I (n= 30) treatment naïve chronic HCV patients; Group II (n= 30) chronic HCV treated with Peg/Riba; Group III (n= 30) chronic HCV associated with non-organ specific autoantibody and Group IV (n= 30) healthy persons as a control group. Tregs and Teffs markers were assessed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by quantitative real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chronic HCV patients exhibited significant higher levels of both Teffs and Tregs in comparison to healthy control group. Tregs markers were significantly decreased in Peg/Riba treated HCV patients in comparison to treatment naïve HCV group. In HCV patients with antinuclear antibody (ANA) +ve, Tregs markers were significantly decreased in comparison to all other studied groups. Teffs markers were significantly elevated in all HCV groups in comparison to control and in HCV group with ANA +ve in comparison to treatment naïve HCV group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated Tregs cells in chronic HCV patients dampen both CD4+and CD8+autologous T cell immune response. Interferon-α and ribavirin therapy suppress proliferation of Tregs. More significant suppression of Tregs was observed in HCV patients with autoantibodies favoring pathological autoimmune response.
authors.affiliation: Hanan Fouad, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hanan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fouad
authors.affiliation: Hanan Fouad, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt.
authors.forename: Maissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El Raziky
authors.affiliation: Hanan Fouad, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt.
authors.forename: Eman Medhat
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.affiliation: Hanan Fouad, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ghada Mahmoud Abdel
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Aziz
authors.affiliation: Hanan Fouad, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt.
authors.forename: Samar K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Darweesh
authors.affiliation: Hanan Fouad, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmed Reda
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Sayed
keywords: Autoimmunity; Hepatitis C virus; Interferon; T activator cells; T regulatory cells