Interleukin 2 and T-cell receptors in peripheral blood of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Abstract

Abstract Studies were conducted to determine if CD3 (T-cell) associated antigen receptors (R) such as interleukin 2 (IL-2) and γδ participate in the pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Peripheral blood T-cells bearing IL-2R α (CD25) or β (CD122) chain, and αβ or γδ were examined using two-color flow cytometry in 92 patients with various chronic HCV infection. CD25-positive T-cells were increased with the progression of the disease; patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) had the highest percentage of CD25 + T-cells, while CD 122 + T-cells were significantly higher in asymptomatic HCV carriers with normal serum ALT levels and mild to moderate chronic hepatitis. In HCC patients, a decrease in CD25 + cells and increase in CD 122+ cells were noted after hepatic resection or percutaneous ethanol injection. Asymptomatic carriers had higher γδ T-cells than in controls, and patients with chronic liver disease. The percentage of γδ T-cells became higher during IFN treatment in responders compared with nonresponders. The absolute number of T-cells studied here showed comparable results to those expressed as percentage in each patient group. There was no correlation between serum ALT values, HCV RNA levels, and the incidence of T-cell subsets. The findings suggest that IL-2R αβ chains on T-cells and γδ T-cell are associated with the pathogenesis of chronic HCV infection.