Abstract
Background: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in sustaining the hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) persistence and protecting the liver tissues from cytokine-associated detrimental effects through unclear mechanisms. This paper aims to review the frequency of Tregs during the course of HBV and HCV infection.Method: Electronic databases were searched to identify studies investigated the frequency of intrahepatic and peripheral Tregs of the patients infected with HBV and/ or HCV.Results: The majority of studies reported the increase of intrahepatic and peripheral Tregs in acute and chronic infection of HBV and HCV. The decrease of peripheral Tregs occurred in patients with chronic hepatitis B who respond to interferon α or nucleos(t)ide analogues treatment as well as those with chronic hepatitis C who were treated with interferon, ribavirin or liver transplantation.Conclusion: Infection with HBV and HCV appears to induce the production of Tregs in blood and hepatocytes whereas treatment may decrease Tregs levels. As the optimum balance between regulatory and effector T during HBV and HCV infection is crucial for preventing liver damage, further studies should be directed on the development of Tregs during HBV and HCV infection as well as their involvement in immunomodulatory strategies for combating HBV and HCV.
Highlights
Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are important public health issues with increasing numbers of patients despite the immense efforts to control the transmission
The rules of cellular and humoral immunity in hepatitis B and C have been widely studied but limited data exist regarding the role of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the course of these illnesses
During the acute stage of HBV infection, the frequency of peripheral Tregs remains normal whilst HCV caused an immediate increase of Tregs level in circulation
Summary
Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are important public health issues with increasing numbers of patients despite the immense efforts to control the transmission. It poses a substantial threat to the chronically infected patients as the infection cannot be totally cured, leading to terminal illness due to liver failure and carcinoma. The rules of cellular and humoral immunity in hepatitis B and C have been widely studied but limited data exist regarding the role of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the course of these illnesses. The majority of studies on hepatitis B immunity have frequently reported Natural Killer (NK), CD4+ cells, CD8+ cells, and antibodies to HBV. Jung and Shin suggested that Tregs are involved in the disease chronicity by maintaining viral persistence and protecting the liver tissues from cytokine-associated detrimental effects.[3]. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in sustaining the hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) persistence and protecting the liver tissues from cytokine-associated detrimental effects through unclear mechanisms. This paper aims to review the frequency of Tregs during the course of HBV and HCV infection
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