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Magnitude of activity in chronic hepatitis C is influenced by apoptosis of T cells responsible for hepatitis C virus
Author(s) -
Emi Kanako,
Nakamura Ken,
Yuh Kouichi,
Sugyo Shinya,
Shijo Hiroshi,
Kuroki Masahide,
Tamura Kazuo
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1746.1999.01993.x
Subject(s) - apoptosis , hepatitis c virus , medicine , immunology , hepatitis c , immune system , virus , virology , titer , biology , biochemistry
Background: The mechanisms of hepatitis C virus (HCV) persistence are unknown, but down‐regulation of immune response in a host is likely to play a major role in it.Methods: To investigate whether T cell apoptosis contributes to such down‐regulation, we compared peripheral T cell apoptosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with the serum titre of HCV‐RNA, serum alanine aminotransferase (sALT) levels and its change, or peripheral T cell proliferation to the recombinant core antigen of HCV, JCC‐1.Results: The percentage of apoptosis in T cells was 0.30 ± 0.31% (mean ± SD) in 44 patients with CHC and 0.10 ± 0.05% in 10 normal volunteers ( P < 0.05). In patients with CHC there was no statistical correlation between apoptosis in T cells and sALT levels, titre of HCV‐RNA or T cell proliferation to JCC‐1 antigen. But, in patients showing relatively more apoptosis in T cells (more than mean + 2SD of apoptosis in T cells from normal volunteers), sALT levels decreased.Conclusions: Thus, T cell apoptosis in patients with CHC is considered to cause a reduction in sALT, contributing to HCV persistence in patients with CHC. © 1999 Blackwell Science Asia Pty Ltd