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Impaired Thymic Output in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection
Author(s) -
Hartling H. J.,
Gaardbo J. C.,
Ronit A.,
Salem M.,
Laye M.,
Clausen M. R.,
Skogstrand K.,
Gerstoft J.,
Ullum H.,
Nielsen S. D.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1111/sji.12096
Subject(s) - interleukin 7 receptor , cd8 , fibrosis , medicine , hepatitis c virus , immunology , t cell , chronic infection , chronic hepatitis , virus , flow cytometry , virology , immune system , il 2 receptor
Altered T cell homeostasis in chronic hepatitis C virus ( HCV ) infection has been demonstrated. However, it is unknown whether fibrosis is associated with more perturbed T cell homeostasis in chronic HCV infection. The aim of this study was to examine and compare T cell subsets including recent thymic emigrants ( RTE ), naive, memory, senescent, apoptotic and IL ‐7 receptor α ( CD 127) expressing CD 4 + and CD 8 + T cells as well as telomere length and interferon‐γ production in HCV ‐infected patients with ( n = 25) and without ( n = 26) fibrosis as well as in healthy controls ( n = 24). Decreased proportions of CD 4 + and CD 8 + RTE were found in HCV ‐infected patients, especially in HCV ‐infected patients with fibrosis (14.3% (9.7–23.0) and 28.8% (16.1–40.5), respectively) compared with healthy controls (24.2% (16.3–32.1), P = 0.004 and 39.1% (31.6–55.0), P = 0.010, respectively). Furthermore, HCV ‐infected patients with fibrosis presented with a higher proportion of CD 4 + T cells expressing CD 127 compared with HCV ‐infected patients without fibrosis [88.4% (84.5–91.0) versus 83.8% (79.9–86.8), P = 0.016]. Thus, impaired thymic output in HCV infection was found, and high proportion of CD 127 + T cells may illustrate a compensatory mechanism to preserve T cell counts.