Downregulation of CCR5 Expression on the Peripheral Blood CD8^sup +^ T Cells of Southeastern Iranian Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Infection

• Published in: Inflammation 2013-02, Vol.36 (1), p.136
• Main Authors: Ahmadabadi, Behzad Nasiri, Hassanshahi, Gholamhossein, Khoramdelazad, Hossein, Mirzaei, Vahid, Sajadi, Seyed Mohammad, Ali, Hajghani, Masomeh, Khodadadi, Hassan, Pourali, Reza, Arababadi, Mohammad Kazemi, Kennedy, Derek
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0360-3997; 1573-2576
• DOI: 10.1007/s10753-012-9528-4

Studies indicated that CC receptor 5 (CCR5), as a receptor for CC ligand 3, CCL4, and CCL5, plays important roles in the recruitment of T cytotoxic lymphocytes to the liver of chronic HBV (CHB)-infected patients. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the expression levels of CCR5 on the CD8^sup +^ T lymphocytes of CHB patients. This clinical study was performed on 63 CHB patients and 96 healthy controls. Flow cytometric analysis was performed to examine the expression of CCR5 on CD8^sup +^ T cells of CHB patients. Real-time PCR was also used for HBV-DNA quantification. The results of our study demonstrated that CCR5 expressing T cytotoxic cells were decreased significantly in CHB patients in comparison to healthy control. Based on our results, it can be concluded that the percent of CCR5^sup +^/CD8^sup +^ T cells in Iranian CHB patients is significantly decreased, hence their migration to the infected liver, and HBV eradication from the hepatocytes is disrupted.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]