Abstract
We monitored in fifty individuals with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) the expression of CCR5 and CXCR3, two chemokine receptors involved in the intra-hepatic recruitment of T cells, at the surface of circulating CD4+ T cells. The percentage of CD4+ T cells expressing CCR5 and/or CXCR3 was increased in patients. The increased percentage of CD4+ CXCR3+ T lymphocytes was linked to serum level of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and to fibrosis METAVIR score. CD4+ T cell surface CCR5 and CXCR3 densities increased after 6 months of treatment with pegylated interferon-alpha and ribavirin. The pre-therapeutic percentage of CD4+ CXCR3+ T cells was correlated with alanine aminotransferase serum level at 12 months, and viral load at 24 months after treatment initiation. Thus, in CHC we observed a high CXCR3 expression on peripheral blood CD4+ T cells which correlates with AST serum level and liver fibrosis, and is predictive of the response to treatment.
MeSH terms
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Adult
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Aged
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Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use*
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Aspartate Aminotransferases / blood
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Biomarkers / analysis
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CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology
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CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / drug effects*
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CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
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Drug Therapy, Combination
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Female
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Fibrosis
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Flow Cytometry
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Hepatitis C, Chronic / diagnosis
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Hepatitis C, Chronic / drug therapy*
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Hepatitis C, Chronic / metabolism
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Humans
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Interferon alpha-2
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Interferon-alpha / therapeutic use
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Liver / drug effects
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Liver / pathology
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Liver / virology
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Male
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Middle Aged
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Polyethylene Glycols / therapeutic use
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Predictive Value of Tests
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Prognosis
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Receptors, CCR5 / biosynthesis
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Receptors, CXCR3 / biosynthesis*
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Recombinant Proteins
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Ribavirin / therapeutic use
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Treatment Outcome
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Young Adult
Substances
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Antiviral Agents
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Biomarkers
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CXCR3 protein, human
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Interferon alpha-2
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Interferon-alpha
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Receptors, CCR5
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Receptors, CXCR3
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Recombinant Proteins
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Polyethylene Glycols
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Ribavirin
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Aspartate Aminotransferases
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peginterferon alfa-2a