Volume 137, Issue 2 pp. 408-416

CD56+dim and CD56+bright cell activation and apoptosis in hepatitis C virus infection

A. W. LIN

A. W. LIN

Medicine and †Pediatrics, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, USA

Search for more papers by this author
S. A. GONZALEZ

S. A. GONZALEZ

Medicine and †Pediatrics, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, USA

Search for more papers by this author
S. CUNNINGHAM-RUNDLES

S. CUNNINGHAM-RUNDLES

Center for the Study of Hepatitis C, Departments of

Search for more papers by this author
G. DORANTE

G. DORANTE

Medicine and †Pediatrics, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, USA

Search for more papers by this author
S. MARSHALL

S. MARSHALL

Medicine and †Pediatrics, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, USA

Search for more papers by this author
A. TIGNOR

A. TIGNOR

Medicine and †Pediatrics, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, USA

Search for more papers by this author
C. HA

C. HA

Medicine and †Pediatrics, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, USA

Search for more papers by this author
I. M. JACOBSON

I. M. JACOBSON

Medicine and †Pediatrics, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, USA

Search for more papers by this author
A. H. TALAL

Corresponding Author

A. H. TALAL

Medicine and †Pediatrics, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, USA

Dr Andrew Talal, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 525 E. 68th Street, A-354 New York, NY 10021, USA
   E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author
First published: 30 June 2004
Citations: 34

SUMMARY

CD3CD56+dim natural killer (NK) cells, which are cytotoxic against virally infected cells, may be important in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients who are successfully treated with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN)-α. We used flow cytometry to enumerate activated (CD69+) and apoptotic (annexin-V+) dim (CD3CD56+dim) and bright (CD3CD56+bright) NK cells obtained from HCV-infected patients before treatment (n = 16) and healthy controls (n = 15) in the absence and presence of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN)-α-2b. A subset of HCV-infected patients, subsequently treated with PEG-IFN-α-2b in vivo, was determined to have a sustained virological response (SVR, n = 6) or to not respond (NR) to treatment (n = 5). In the absence of IFN, activated dim (CD3CD56+dim CD69+) NK cells were significantly decreased (P = 0·04) while activated apoptotic dim (CD3CD56+dimCD69+annexin-V+) NK cells tended to be increased (P = 0·07) in SVR patients compared with NR patients. Activated bright (CD3CD56+brightCD69+) and activated apoptotic bright (CD3CD56+brightCD69+annexin-V+) NK cells were significantly correlated (P = 0·02 and P = 0·01, respectively) with increasing hepatic inflammation. These findings suggest that in the absence of PEG-IFN, activated dim (CD3CD56+dimCD69+) NK cell turnover may be enhanced in SVR compared with NR patients and that activated bright (CD3CD56+brightCD69+) NK cells may play a role in liver inflammation.

The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties.