A study of some hepatic immunological markers, iron load and virus genotype in chronic hepatitis C.

• Autor(a) principal: Cardoso, Elsa M.
• Data de Publicação: 2004
• Outros Autores: Duarte, Miguel A., Ribeiro, Eduarda, Rodrigues, Pedro, Hultcrantz, Rolf, Sampaio, Paula, Ehrlich, Rachel, Carvalho, João, Fraga, José, de Sousa, Maria
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10314/3507; https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2004.04.027
• topic: HFE; MHC-I; IFN; Hepatitis C virus; Liver

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, beta(2)m, 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 beta(2)m 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.