Hepatic inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression in hepatitis C virus-human immunodeficiency virus co-infection |
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Authors: | Gonzalez S A Zhang C Fiel M I Chung S Zhang L Jacobson I M Talal A H |
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Institution: | Center for the Study of Hepatitis C and Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University;;Department of Pathology, The Mount Sinai Medical Center;;Department of Pathology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University;;Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA;;and AIDS Research Center, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China |
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Abstract: | Summary. Although epidemiologic studies have documented that hepatitis C virus (HCV)/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infected patients have accelerated fibrogenesis, especially those with CD4+ cell counts <200 cells/mm3, the pathogenic mechanisms are poorly understood. We investigated whether severe immunodeficiency in co-infection is associated with changes in intrahepatic inflammatory cytokine mRNA levels. We measured interferon (IFN)-γ, tumour necrosis factor-α, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, IL-12p35 and IL-12p40 mRNA levels by real-time PCR performed on liver samples from HCV mono-infected ( n = 19) and HCV/HIV co-infected ( n = 24) patients. Co-infected patients had decreased intrahepatic mRNA levels of IFN-γ ( P = 0.09), IL-4 ( P = 0.05) and IL-12p35 ( P = 0.04) compared with mono-infected patients, while IL-10 was increased ( P = 0.07). In co-infected patients, IFN-γ mRNA levels increased linearly with increasing peripheral CD4+ cell counts by 1.23 times relative to the calibrator for every 100 CD4+ cells/mm3 increase ( P = 0.02). No other cytokines were significantly associated with CD4+ cell counts. In conclusion, HIV-induced lymphopenia may result in hepatic inflammatory cytokine suppression in HCV/HIV co-infection. Intrahepatic IFN-γ levels are significantly reduced in patients with advanced immunodeficiency. Further studies are needed to assess whether decreased IFN-γ secretion by HCV-specific CD4+ cells may account for accelerated fibrogenesis in these patients. |
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Keywords: | hepatic cytokines HCV/HIV co-infection hepatic inflammation hepatic fibrosis |
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