BACKGROUND/AIMS: T lymphocyte-mediated immune reactions are closely involved in the pathogenesis of HCV-induced chronic liver disease. Regulatory T cells are able to suppress HCV-specific T lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine secretion during chronic HCV infection. We wished to address to what extent regulatory T cells exist in the livers of HCV+ individuals, and what the role of such cells might be in disease progression. METHODS: We analysed the frequency and distribution of FOXP3+ cells, along with CD4, CD8 and CD20+ cells, in liver biopsies of 28 patients with chronic HCV and 14 patients with PBC, and correlated these data with histological parameters. RESULTS: A striking number of FOXP3+ cells were present in the portal tract infiltrates of HCV-infected livers. FOXP3+ cells were largely CD4+ and there was a remarkably consistent ratio of total CD4+:FOXP3+ cells in liver across a wide range of disease states of around 2:1. This differed substantially from the ratio observed in PBC (10:1, P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: An unexpectedly high proportion of the cellular infiltrate in persistent HCV infection comprises FOXP3+ cells. The relative proportion of FOXP3+ cells remains similar in both mild and severe fibrosis. These cells are likely to play a critical role in intrahepatic immune regulation, although their overall role in disease progression remains to be determined.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: T lymphocyte-mediated immune reactions are closely involved in the pathogenesis of HCV-induced chronic liver disease. Regulatory T cells are able to suppress HCV-specific T lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine secretion during chronic HCV infection. We wished to address to what extent regulatory T cells exist in the livers of HCV+ individuals, and what the role of such cells might be in disease progression. METHODS: We analysed the frequency and distribution of FOXP3+ cells, along with CD4, CD8 and CD20+ cells, in liver biopsies of 28 patients with chronic HCV and 14 patients with PBC, and correlated these data with histological parameters. RESULTS: A striking number of FOXP3+ cells were present in the portal tract infiltrates of HCV-infected livers. FOXP3+ cells were largely CD4+ and there was a remarkably consistent ratio of total CD4+:FOXP3+ cells in liver across a wide range of disease states of around 2:1. This differed substantially from the ratio observed in PBC (10:1, P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: An unexpectedly high proportion of the cellular infiltrate in persistent HCV infection comprises FOXP3+ cells. The relative proportion of FOXP3+ cells remains similar in both mild and severe fibrosis. These cells are likely to play a critical role in intrahepatic immune regulation, although their overall role in disease progression remains to be determined.
Authors: S S Hampras; M Tommasino; Y Zhao; J L Messina; A R Giuliano; N A Fenske; B Cherpelis; R S Hesterberg; A A Akuffo; R P Amorrortu; J Balliu; L Vijayan; T Gheit; P K Epling-Burnette; D E Rollison Journal: Br J Dermatol Date: 2019-02-10 Impact factor: 9.302
Authors: Shaoyong Li; Lianne E M Vriend; Imad A Nasser; Yury Popov; Nezam H Afdhal; Margaret J Koziel; Detlef Schuppan; Mark A Exley; Nadia Alatrakchi Journal: Hepatology Date: 2012-12 Impact factor: 17.425
Authors: Henry Radziewicz; Chris C Ibegbu; Huiming Hon; Melissa K Osborn; Kamil Obideen; Mohammad Wehbi; Gordon J Freeman; Jeffrey L Lennox; Kimberly A Workowski; Holly L Hanson; Arash Grakoui Journal: J Virol Date: 2008-07-30 Impact factor: 5.103
Authors: Shuo Li; Stefan Floess; Alf Hamann; Silvana Gaudieri; Andrew Lucas; Margaret Hellard; Stuart Roberts; Geza Paukovic; Magdalena Plebanski; Bruce E Loveland; Campbell Aitken; Simon Barry; Louis Schofield; Eric J Gowans Journal: PLoS Pathog Date: 2009-12-24 Impact factor: 6.823