TY - JOUR
T1 - A study of some hepatic immunological markers, iron load and virus genotype in chronic hepatitis C
AU - Cardoso, Elsa Maria
AU - Duarte, Miguel Angelo
AU - Ribeiro, Eduarda
AU - Rodrigues, Pedro
AU - Hultcrantz, Rolf
AU - Sampaio, Paula
AU - Ehrlich, Rachel
AU - Carvalho, João
AU - Fraga, José
AU - De Sousa, Maria
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Dr Graça Porto for critical review of the manuscript. This study was supported by the EU QLG1-CT-1999-00665 project, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation/FCT Project on Hemochromatosis (Portugal) and the INNOVA Foundation/APBRF (USA).
PY - 2004/8
Y1 - 2004/8
N2 - Background/Aims Host factors that may influence progression of hepatitis C infection to chronic hepatitis include T-cell responses and iron accumulation. We evaluated the hepatic expression of immunological markers relevant for a cytotoxic response in relation to viral and HFE genotype. Methods Frozen liver biopsies were obtained at diagnosis from 28 HFE genotyped patients. Sections stained for CD8, MHC-I, β2m, HFE and CD68 were analyzed blind by morphometry. Response to therapy was available in 12 cases. Results A negative correlation was found between the number of CD8+ cells and fibrosis. CD8+ cells localized as clusters in portal tracts and sinusoids and were seen interacting with MHC-I positive lining cells. MHC-I and β2m were expressed mainly in the endothelial and Kupffer cells. HFE was expressed in most, but not all, round and dendritic CD68+ cells. Patients with virus genotype 3a had higher hepatic MHC-I and HFE expression, and a better-sustained response to IFN therapy than other patients. Conclusions In chronic hepatitis C virus infection MHC-I expression in the liver seems to relate to viral-genotype. In addition, the expression of MHC-I molecules by Kupffer cells places them as probable important players in the host response to HCV.
AB - Background/Aims Host factors that may influence progression of hepatitis C infection to chronic hepatitis include T-cell responses and iron accumulation. We evaluated the hepatic expression of immunological markers relevant for a cytotoxic response in relation to viral and HFE genotype. Methods Frozen liver biopsies were obtained at diagnosis from 28 HFE genotyped patients. Sections stained for CD8, MHC-I, β2m, HFE and CD68 were analyzed blind by morphometry. Response to therapy was available in 12 cases. Results A negative correlation was found between the number of CD8+ cells and fibrosis. CD8+ cells localized as clusters in portal tracts and sinusoids and were seen interacting with MHC-I positive lining cells. MHC-I and β2m were expressed mainly in the endothelial and Kupffer cells. HFE was expressed in most, but not all, round and dendritic CD68+ cells. Patients with virus genotype 3a had higher hepatic MHC-I and HFE expression, and a better-sustained response to IFN therapy than other patients. Conclusions In chronic hepatitis C virus infection MHC-I expression in the liver seems to relate to viral-genotype. In addition, the expression of MHC-I molecules by Kupffer cells places them as probable important players in the host response to HCV.
KW - HFE
KW - Hepatitis C virus
KW - IFN
KW - Liver
KW - MHC-I
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=4444314259&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jhep.2004.04.027
DO - 10.1016/j.jhep.2004.04.027
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AN - SCOPUS:4444314259
VL - 41
SP - 319
EP - 326
JO - Journal of Hepatology
JF - Journal of Hepatology
SN - 0168-8278
IS - 2
ER -
