Autoimmune Hepatic Failure Following Acute Hepatitis A is Accompanied by Inflammatory Conversion of Regulatory T Cells

• Published in: Yonsei medical journal Vol. 61; no. 1; pp. 100 - 102
• Main Authors: Leem, Galam, Kim, Beom Kyung, Shin, Eui-Cheol, Park, Jun Yong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Yonsei University College of Medicine 01.01.2020; 연세대학교의과대학
• Subjects: Aged; Brief Communication; Female; Hepatitis A - complications; Hepatitis A - immunology; Hepatitis A - physiopathology; Hepatitis, Autoimmune - etiology; Hepatitis, Autoimmune - immunology; Hepatitis, Autoimmune - physiopathology; Humans; Inflammation - pathology; Liver - pathology; Liver - physiopathology; Liver Failure - etiology; Liver Failure - immunology; Liver Failure - pathology; Liver Failure - physiopathology; Liver Function Tests; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - immunology; 의학일반; regulatory T cells; Autoimmune hepatitis; acute hepatitis A; inflammatory conversion of Treg cells
• ISSN: 0513-5796; 1976-2437; 1976-2437
• DOI: 10.3349/ymj.2020.61.1.100

To evaluate the pathophysiology of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) following acute hepatitis A (AHA) in immunologic aspects, we performed multi-color flow cytometry with peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a patient who underwent liver transplantation due to AIH-induced liver failure. Unlike general AHA patients, the proportion of tumor necrosis factor-α-producing Treg cells remained high for 6 months after diagnosis of AHA until she underwent a liver transplantation. The conversion of Treg cells into mediators of inflammation may have played a role in the autoimmune pathogenesis following AHA.