Elevated Numbers of FcγRIIIA+ (CD16+) Effector CD8 T Cells with NK Cell-Like Function in Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Elevated numbers of Fc gamma RIIIA+ (CD16+) effector CD8 T cells with NK cell-like function in chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

CTL are crucial in the defense against viral infections. In the course of investigating peripheral blood and intrahepatic CD8 T cells in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, we observed a significant population of CD8 T cells expressing the FcgammaRIIIA (CD16) receptor. This observation led us to characterize these cells with respect to their phenotype and function in a coho...

Elevated Numbers of Fc RIIIA (CD16 ) Effector CD8 T Cells with NK Cell-Like Function in Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Impaired effector function of hepatitis C virus-specific CD8+ T cells in chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

The cellular immune response contributes to clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and persists for decades after recovery from infection. The immunological basis for the inefficiency of the cellular immune response in chronically infected persons is not known. Here, we used four HLA-A2 tetramers, specific for two HCV core and two HCV NS3 epitopes, to investigate at the single-cell level effector...

Expansion of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ Regulatory T Cells in Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Background: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been involved in impaired immunity and may have a pivotal role in persistence of viral infections. Objective: To develop a simple and reliable in-house three color flow cytometery of peripheral blood to understand the role of HCV infection in the increase of Tregs. Methods: The level of naturally occurring CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (nTregs) i...

CD8+ T-Cell Responses in Acute Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects approximately 170 million people worldwide and is a major cause of life-threatening liver diseases such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Acute HCV infection often progresses to chronic persistent infection, although some patients recover spontaneously. The divergent outcomes of acute HCV infection are known to be determined by differences in virus...