Patients with chronic hepatitis C express a high percentage of CD4 super(+)CXCR5 super(+) T follicular helper cells

Background: T follicular helper (T sub(FH)) cells are a subpopulation of T-helper cells which regulate humoral immune responses. The role of T sub(FH) cells in viral infection is unclear. This study examined the possible involvement of CD4 super(+)CXCR5 super(+) T sub(FH) cells in chronic hepatitis...

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Published inJournal of gastroenterology Vol. 47; no. 9; pp. 1048 - 1056
Main Authors Feng, Junyan, Hu, Xiaoli, Guo, Hui, Sun, Xiguang, Wang, Juan, Xu, Lijun, Jiang, Zhenyu, Xu, Bingchuan, Niu, Junqi, Jiang, Yanfang
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 01.09.2012
Subjects
Alanine transaminase
Apoptosis
Aspartate aminotransferase
Chronic infection
Costimulator
Data processing
Flow cytometry
Helper cells
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C virus
Immune response
Immune response (humoral)
Lymphocytes T
Peripheral blood
RNA
Statistical analysis
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Summary:Background: T follicular helper (T sub(FH)) cells are a subpopulation of T-helper cells which regulate humoral immune responses. The role of T sub(FH) cells in viral infection is unclear. This study examined the possible involvement of CD4 super(+)CXCR5 super(+) T sub(FH) cells in chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection. Methods: The percentages of peripheral blood CD4 super(+)CXCR5 super(+) T sub(FH) cells, inducible T-cell costimulator cells, and/or programmed death 1-positive CD4 super(+)CXCR5 super(+) T sub(FH) cells in 39 HCV-infected patients, 12 patients with spontaneously resolved HCV infection (SR-HCV), and 12 healthy controls were characterized by flow cytometry analysis. The subjects' serum HCV RNA loads and alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were measured. The potential association of the percentage of peripheral CD4 super(+)CXCR5 super(+) T sub(FH) cells with clinical data was analyzed. Results: Higher percentages of peripheral blood CD4 super(+)CXCR5 super(+) T sub(FH) cells were found in SR-HCV and HCV-infected patients as compared with healthy controls. Interestingly, a statistically significant negative correlation was found between the percentage of CD4 super(+)CXCR5 super(+) T sub(FH) cells and the HCV RNA load. Conclusions: These data suggest that CD4 super(+)CXCR5 super(+) T sub(FH) cells may participate in HCV-related immune responses. Increased T sub(FH) cells in peripheral blood may help to control HCV infection.
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ISSN:0944-1174
1435-5922
DOI:10.1007/s00535-012-0568-1