Elevated CD4+/CD25+ T cell frequency and function during acute hepatitis C presage chronic evolution

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) determines an acute hepatitis evolving to persistent infection in 50–80% of patients.1 Different mechanisms have been proposed to explain disease evolution, including viral escape, failure of the T helper immune network, and host genetic factors.2 Among CD4+ T cell subsets, lymphocytes expressing constitutively CD25 (interleukin 2 receptor alpha chain), namely T regulatory cells (Treg), appear to play a critical role in controlling chronic evolution of HCV mediated liver diseases.3 Here we investigate the frequency and functional activity of CD3+/CD4+/CD25+ Tregs in acute HCV infection in relation to its evolution over time. The study was approved by the local ethics committee and included 16 consecutive patients with acute hepatitis C (AHC), 15 consecutive patients with acute hepatitis A (AHA), and …

[1]  G. Tarantino,et al.  Flow cytometry assay of myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) in peripheral blood during acute hepatitis C: possible pathogenetic mechanisms. , 2006, World journal of gastroenterology.

[2]  M. Bissell.  Effect of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Genotype on HCV and HIV-1 Disease , 2006 .

[3]  D. Vergani,et al.  Effect of CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T-cells on CD8 T-cell function in patients with autoimmune hepatitis. , 2005, Journal of autoimmunity.

[4]  B. Mory,et al.  Formalin Application in the Treatment of Chronic Radiation-Induced Hemorrhagic Proctitis—An Effective But Not Risk-Free Procedure: A Prospective Study of 33 Patients , 2005, Diseases of the colon and rectum.

[5]  B. Rehermann,et al.  Immunology of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection , 2005, Nature Reviews Immunology.

[6]  E. Daar,et al.  Effect of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype on HCV and HIV-1 disease. , 2005, The Journal of infectious diseases.

[7]  Chen Liu,et al.  An immunomodulatory role for CD4+CD25+ regulatory T lymphocytes in hepatitis C virus infection , 2004, Hepatology.

[8]  S. Hervé,et al.  Argon plasma coagulation in the treatment of hemorrhagic radiation proctitis is efficient but requires a perfect colonic cleansing to be safe , 2004, European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology.

[9]  Y. Hung,et al.  Radiation injury to intestine following hysterectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy for cervical cancer. , 2004, Gynecologic oncology.

[10]  D. Vergani,et al.  Impairment of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T-cells in autoimmune liver disease. , 2004, Journal of hepatology.

[11]  H. Nomura,et al.  Short‐term interferon‐alfa therapy for acute hepatitis C: A randomized controlled trial , 2004, Hepatology.

[12]  G. Davis,et al.  Projecting future complications of chronic hepatitis C in the United States , 2003, Liver transplantation : official publication of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society.