CD8 super(+) Cell Responses to Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) in the Liver of Persons with HCV-HIV Coinfection versus HCV Monoinfection

Objective. Cellular immune responses are difficult to detect in the peripheral blood of persons with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We sought to determine whether T cell responses were present in the liver of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HCV coinfection. Methods....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of infectious diseases 2005-03, Vol.191 (5), p.702-709
Main Authors: Alatrakchi, N, Graham, C S, He, Q, Sherman, KE, Koziel, MJ
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Hepatitis C virus
Human immunodeficiency virus
Vaccinia virus
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Summary:Objective. Cellular immune responses are difficult to detect in the peripheral blood of persons with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We sought to determine whether T cell responses were present in the liver of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HCV coinfection. Methods. T cells were expanded from liver-biopsy samples from 10 patients coinfected with HIV and HCV (median CD4 super(+) cell count, 456 cells/mm super(3)) and 8 patients infected with HCV alone. CD8 super(+) cell responses were detected by use of a modified enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot) assay with recombinant vaccinia virus, and CD4 super(+) cell responses were detected by use of ELISpot with recombinant HCV proteins core, nonstructural (NS) 3, and NS5. Results. Intrahepatic CD8 super(+) cell responses to HCV were detected in 7 of 10 patients coinfected with HCV and HIV (median frequency, 638 spot-forming cells [sfc]/1 x 10 super(6) cells) and were similar to those observed in patients singly infected with HCV (7/8; median, 647 sfc/1 x 10 super(6) cells). Intrahepatic HCV-specific CD4 super(+) cell responses were also comparable in both groups and correlated with the intrahepatic CD8 super(+) cell responses (r = 0.59; P = .03). Conclusion. HCV-specific CD8 super(+) cell responses are present in the liver of persons with chronic HCV infection even when they are coinfected with HIV; these correlate with intrahepatic HCV-specific CD4 super(+) cell responses.
ISSN:0022-1899