Detection of functionally altered hepatitis C virus-specific CD4+ T cells in acute and chronic hepatitis C

A Ulsenheimer, JT Gerlach, NH Gruener, MC Jung… - Hepatology, 2003 - Elsevier
Chronic hepatitis C is characterized by a weak or absent hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific
CD4+ T-cell response in terms of antigen-specific proliferation or interferon gamma (IFN-γ)
secretion. To clarify whether this is due to the absence or functional impairment of antigen-
specific CD4+ T cells we developed an assay that relies on the induced expression of the T-
cell activation marker CD25 and is therefore independent from cytokine secretion or
proliferation. In 10 of 20 patients with chronic hepatitis C, a significant number of antigen …