CD4+ T Cell Responses in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Undergoing Peginterferon/Ribavirin Therapy Correlate with Faster, but Not Sustained, Viral Clearance

JH Aberle, G Perstinger, L Weseslindtner… - The Journal of …, 2007 - academic.oup.com
JH Aberle, G Perstinger, L Weseslindtner, U Sinzinger, C Gurguta, P Steindl-Munda…
The Journal of infectious diseases, 2007academic.oup.com
T cell immune responses may be important for the elimination of chronic hepatitis C virus
(HCV) infection during antiviral treatment. In the present study, the kinetics of T cell
responses to HCV antigens (NS3-4 and core) were prospectively assessed and were
correlated with virologic outcome in 31 patients with chronic HCV infection undergoing
peginterferon-α2a/ribavirin therapy. NS3-4—directed T helper cell type 1 (Th1) responses
were detected in 77% of patients with a significant decline in viremia at treatment week 4 but …
Abstract
T cell immune responses may be important for the elimination of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection during antiviral treatment. In the present study, the kinetics of T cell responses to HCV antigens (NS3-4 and core) were prospectively assessed and were correlated with virologic outcome in 31 patients with chronic HCV infection undergoing peginterferon-α2a/ribavirin therapy. NS3-4—directed T helper cell type 1 (Th1) responses were detected in 77% of patients with a significant decline in viremia at treatment week 4 but were not detected not in those with a slower viral decline. The detectability of NS3-4—directed Th1 responses was associated with faster viremia clearance, was short-lived, and did not seem to be associated with the final treatment outcome.
Oxford University Press