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In vitro effect of thymosin‐alpha1 and interferon‐alpha on Th1 and Th2 cytokine synthesis in patients with eAg‐negative chronic hepatitis B
Author(s) -
Loggi E.,
Gramenzi A.,
Margotti M.,
Cursaro C.,
Galli S.,
Vitale G.,
Grandini E.,
Scuteri A.,
Vukotic R.,
Andreone P.,
Bernardi M.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of viral hepatitis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1365-2893
pISSN - 1352-0504
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2893.2007.00960.x
Subject(s) - medicine , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , immunology , alpha interferon , hepatitis b virus , hepatitis b , gastroenterology , interferon , in vitro , biology , virus , biochemistry
Summary. Thymosin alpha‐1 (Tα1) has been shown to be effective in chronic hepatitis B treatment. This study investigated the effect of Tα1 and interferon‐alpha (IFNα) on cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 12 patients with eAg‐negative chronic hepatitis B (HBV). We evaluated the effect of incubation with Tα1, IFNα or both on the synthesis of T‐helper 1 (Th1) cytokines [interleukin‐2 (IL‐2), IFNγ] and Th2 cytokines (IL‐4, IL‐10) and of antiviral protein 2′,5′‐oligoadenylate synthetase (2′,5′‐OAS) in patients and in a group of 10 healthy controls. Concerning Th1 profile, controls showed lower IL‐2 synthesis than HBV patients. In HBV setting, IFNα/Tα1 combination was able to increase IL‐2 production significantly, when compared with baseline condition. About the Th2‐cytokines, controls showed statistically lower synthesis of IL‐4 and higher production of IL‐10, than HBV patients. In these latter, IFNα increased the synthesis of IL‐10 compared with baseline. Interestingly, both Tα1 alone and the IFNα/Tα1 combination reversed this effect. Finally, compared with baseline, the synthesis of 2′,5′‐OAS was significantly higher in the presence of Tα1 and IFNα alone, and in the presence of IFNα/Tα1 association, while no differences were found between controls and HBV patients. In conclusion, in PBMCs from eAg‐negative HBV patients, Tα1 alone was able to increase the antiviral protein synthesis, while in association with IFNα, it stimulated the IL‐2 synthesis and inhibited the IFN‐induced IL‐10 production. These results need further investigations, but reinforce the idea of an immunotherapeutic approach for chronic hepatitis B.