Immunology of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection.

More than 500 million people worldwide are persistently infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV) and are at risk of developing chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite many common features in the pathogenesis of HBV- and HCV-related liver disease, these viruses markedly differ in their virological properties and in their immune escape and survival strategies. This review assesses recent advances in our understanding of viral hepatitis, contrasts mechanisms of virus-host interaction in acute hepatitis B and hepatitis C, and outlines areas for future studies.

The frequency of CD127(+) hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific T cells but not the expression of exhaustion markers predicts the outcome of acute HCV infection.

T cells are exhausted and overexpress inhibitory molecules in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. It is unclear whether this is the cause or consequence of HCV persistence. By studying serial blood and liver samples of chimpanzees during acute infection, we demonstrate that the early expression of the memory precursor marker CD127 on HCV-specific T cells, but not the expression of inhibitory molecules on those T cells or their ligands in the liver, predicts the outcome of acute infection.

Efficient replication of primary or culture hepatitis C virus isolates in human liver slices: a relevant ex vivo model of liver infection.

UNLABELLED: The development of human cultured hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication-permissive hepatocarcinoma cell lines has provided important new virological tools to study the mechanisms of HCV infection; however, this experimental model remains distantly related to physiological and pathological conditions. Here, we report the development of a new ex vivo model using human adult liver slices culture, demonstrating, for the first time, the ability of primary isolates to undergo de novo viral replication with the production of high-titer infectious virus as well as Japanese fulminant hepatitis type 1, H77/C3, and Con1/C3. This experimental model was employed to demonstrate HCV neutralization or HCV inhibition, in a dose-dependent manner, either by cluster of differentiation 81 or envelope protein 2-specific antibodies or convalescent serum from a recovered HCV patient or by antiviral drugs. CONCLUSION: This new ex vivo model represents a powerful tool for studying the viral life cycle and dynamics of virus spread in native tissue and also allows one to evaluate the efficacy of new antiviral drugs.

Delayed induction, not impaired recruitment, of specific CD8⁺ T cells causes the late onset of acute hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is characterized by lack of immune-mediated liver injury despite a high level of HCV replication during the incubation phase, which lasts about 8 weeks. We investigated whether this results from delayed recruitment of HCV-specific T cells and whether it facilitates HCV persistence. METHODS: Six chimpanzees were infected with HCV; blood and liver samples were collected for 28 weeks and analyzed for immune cells and chemokines. RESULTS: Two chimpanzees developed self-limited infections, whereas the remaining 4 developed chronic infections. Levels of the chemokines CXCL10, CXCL11, CCL4, and CCL5 increased in blood and liver samples from all chimpanzees within 1 month of HCV infection. Chemokine induction correlated with intrahepatic type I interferon (IFN) responses in vivo and was blocked by neutralizing antibodies against IFN-ß in vitro. Despite the early-stage induction of chemokines, the intrahepatic lymphocytic infiltrate started to increase no earlier than 8 weeks after HCV infection, when HCV-specific, tetramer-positive CD8(+) T cells appeared in the circulation. The HCV-specific CD8(+) T cells expressed chemokine receptors when they were initially detected in blood samples, so they could be recruited to the liver as soon as they entered the circulation. CONCLUSIONS: Chemokines are induced during early stages of HCV infection, which requires a type I IFN-mediated response. The delayed onset of acute hepatitis does not result from delayed recruitment of HCV-specific T cells, but could instead be related to a primary delay in the induction of HCV-specific T cells. Divergent outcomes occur without evident differences in chemokine induction and T-cell recruitment.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells accumulate in spleens from chronically HIV-infected patients but barely participate in interferon-alpha expression.

We characterized the localization, phenotype, and some functions of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) in the human spleen. pDCs were localized in the marginal zone and the periarteriolar region. Some were also found in the red pulp. pDCs were immature by phenotypic labeling, consistently with their capacity to internalize Dextran in a functional assay. In spleens from HIV-infected patients with thrombocytopenic purpura, these characteristics were unaffected. However, an accumulation of pDCs, but not myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs), was observed in some HIV+ patients, correlating with high proviral loads. Moreover, although undetectable in most HIV- patients, interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) production was evidenced in situ and by flow cytometry in most HIV+ patients. IFN-alpha was located in the marginal zone. Surprisingly, IFN-alpha colocalized only with few pDCs, but rather with other cells, including T and B lymphocytes, mDCs, and macrophages. Therefore, pDCs accumulated in spleens from HIV+ patients with high proviral loads, but they did not seem to be the main IFN-alpha producers.

Primary infection with simian immunodeficiency virus: plasmacytoid dendritic cell homing to lymph nodes, type I interferon, and immune suppression.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are antigen-presenting cells that develop into type-I interferon (IFN-I)-producing cells in response to pathogens. Their role in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pathogenesis needs to be understood. We analyzed their dynamics in relation to innate and adaptive immunity very early during the acute phase of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection in 18 macaques. pDC counts decreased in blood and increased in peripheral lymph nodes, consistent with early recruitment in secondary lymphoid tissues. These changes correlated with the kinetic and intensity of viremia and were associated with a peak of plasma IFN-I. IFN-I and viremia were positively correlated with functional activity of the immune suppression associated enzyme indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and FoxP3(+)CD8(+) T cells, which both negatively correlated with SIV-specific T-cell proliferation and CD4(+) T-cell activation. These data suggest that pDCs and IFN-I play a key role in shaping innate and adaptive immunity toward suppressive pathways during the acute phase of SIV/HIV primary infection.

Recruitment and interaction of human dendritic and T cells in autologous liver slices experimentally infected with HCV produced in cell culture.

Studying the immunological processes taking place during the initial steps of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been a challenge in patients. Shin et al. have recently reported that delayed induction, not impaired recruitment of specific CD8(+) T cells, causes the late onset of acute hepatitis C in chimpanzees (Gastroenterology, 2011). However, further elucidation of the underlying mechanisms is difficult in vivo. We made observations consistent with their conclusions in human liver slices inoculated ex vivo with HCV produced in cell culture (HCVcc). Autologous immune cells were purified from blood and differentially stained prior to their incubation with the slices for 2 hours. A two-photon confocal microscopic analysis revealed that many more stained dendritic and T cells contracted interactions within two-day infected slices than non-inoculated ones (p<0.001). While in the first instance some dendritic and T cells entered into closer interactions, they never did in the latter case. These results suggest that ex vivo infection of human liver slices with HCVcc may be useful for gaining experimental insight regarding the immunological processes taking place at early steps of HCV infections.

Distinct CD4+ CD8+ double-positive T cells in the blood and liver of patients during chronic hepatitis B and C.

CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, the main effectors of adaptive cellular immune responses, differentiate from immature, non-functional CD4(+)CD8(+) double-positive T (DPT) cells in the thymus. Increased proportions of circulating DPT lymphocytes have been observed during acute viral infections; in chronic viral diseases, the role and repartition of extra-thymic DPT cells remain largely uncharacterized. We performed a phenotypic analysis of DPT cells in blood and liver from patients chronically infected by hepatitis C (HCV) or B (HBV) viruses. The highest percentages of DPT cells, predominantly CD4(high)CD8(low), were observed in patients infected by HCV, while HBV-infected patients mostly displayed CD4(low)CD8(high) and CD4(high)CD8(high) DPT cells. All proportions of DPT cells were higher in liver than in blood with, for each subpopulation referred to above, a correlation between their frequencies in these two compartments. In HCV patients, intra-hepatic DPT cells displayed more heterogeneous activation, differentiation and memory phenotypes than in the blood; most of them expressed CD1a, a marker of T cell development in the thymus. Ex vivo, the inoculation of liver slices with HCV produced in cell culture was accompanied by a disappearance of CD8(high) cells, suggesting a direct effect of the virus on the phenotype of DPT cells in the liver. Our results suggest that, in half of the patients, chronic HCV infection promotes the production of DPT cells, perhaps by their re-induction in the thymus and selection in the liver.

Antigen crosspresentation by human plasmacytoid dendritic cells.

Crosspresentation is a specialized function of myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs), allowing them to induce CD8+ T cell responses against exogenous antigens that are not directly produced in their cytotosol. Human plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) are not considered so far as able to perform crosspresentation. We showed here that purified human pDCs crosspresented vaccinal lipopeptides and HIV-1 antigens from apoptotic cells to specific CD8+ T lymphocytes. Apoptotic debris were internalized by phagocytosis and the lipopeptide LPPol reached nonacidic endosomes. This crosspresentation was amplified upon influenza virus infection. Importantly, the efficiency of crosspresentation by pDCs was comparable to that of mDCs. This property of human pDCs needs to be taken into account to understand the pathogenesis of infectious, allergic, or autimmune diseases and to help achieve desired responses during vaccination by targeting specifically either type of DCs.

A role for exposed mannosylations in presentation of human therapeutic self-proteins to CD4+ T lymphocytes.

Several therapeutic self-proteins elicit immune responses when administered to patients. Such adverse immune responses reduce drug efficacy. To induce an immune response, a protein must interact with different immune cells, including antigen-presenting cells, T cells, and B cells. Each cell type recognizes distinct immunogenic patterns on antigens. Mannose-terminating glycans have been identified as pathogen-associated molecular patterns that are essential for internalization of microbes by antigen-presenting cells, leading to presentation. Here, we have investigated the importance of exposed mannosylation on an immunogenic therapeutic self-protein, procoagulant human factor VIII (FVIII). Administration of therapeutic FVIII to hemophilia A patients induces inhibitory anti-FVIII antibodies in up to 30% of the cases. We demonstrate that entry of FVIII into human dendritic cells (DC) leading to T cell activation, is mediated by mannose-terminating glycans on FVIII. Further, we identified macrophage mannose receptor (CD206) as a candidate endocytic receptor for FVIII on DC. Saturation of mannose receptors on DC with mannan, and enzymatic removal of mannosylated glycans from FVIII lead to reduced T cell activation. The interaction between FVIII and CD206 was blocked by VWF, suggesting that, under physiological conditions, the intrinsic mannose-dependent immunogenicity of FVIII is quenched by endogenous immunochaperones. These data provide a link between the mannosylation of therapeutic self-proteins and their iatrogenic immunogenicity. Such a link would be of special relevance in the context of replacement therapy where mechanisms of central and peripheral tolerance have not been established during ontogeny because of the absence of the antigen.

Peripheral CD4(+)CD8(+) T cells are differentiated effector memory cells with antiviral functions.

Although an increased frequency of CD4(+)CD8(+) T cells has been observed in the peripheral blood during viral infections, their role, function, and biologic significance are still poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that the circulating CD4(+)CD8(+) T-cell population contains mature effector memory lymphocytes specific for antigens of multiple past, latent, and high-level persistent viral infections. Upon in vitro antigenic challenge, a higher frequency of CD4(+)CD8(+) than single-positive cells displayed a T helper 1/T cytotoxic 1 (Th1/Tc1) cytokine profile and proliferated. Ex vivo, more double-positive than single-positive cells exhibited a differentiated phenotype. Accordingly, their lower T-cell receptor excision circles (TREC) content and shorter telomeres proved they had divided more frequently than single-positive cells. Consistent with expression of the tissue-homing marker CXCR3, CD4(+)CD8(+) T cells were demonstrated in situ at the site of persistent viral infection (ie, in the liver during chronic hepatitis C). Finally, a prospective analysis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a chimpanzee, the only animal model for HCV infection, showed a close correlation between the frequency of activated CD4(+)CD8(+) T cells and viral kinetics. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that peripheral CD4(+)CD8(+) T cells take part in the adaptive immune response against infectious pathogens and broaden the perception of the T-cell populations involved in antiviral immune responses.

Previously infected and recovered chimpanzees exhibit rapid responses that control hepatitis C virus replication upon rechallenge.

Responses in three chimpanzees were compared following challenge with a clonal hepatitis C virus (HCV) contained in plasma from an animal that had received infectious RNA transcripts. Two of the chimpanzees (Ch1552 and ChX0186) had recovered from a previous infection with HCV, while the third (Ch1605) was a naïve animal. All animals were challenged by reverse titration with decreasing dilutions of plasma and became serum RNA positive following challenge. Ch1605 displayed a typical disease profile for a chimpanzee. We observed increasing levels of serum RNA from week 1 postinoculation (p.i.), reaching a peak of 10(6) copies/ml at week 9 p.i., and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevations and seroconversion to HCV antibodies at week 10 p.i. In contrast, both Ch1552 and ChX0186 exhibited much shorter periods of viremia (4 weeks), low serum RNA levels (peak, 10(3) copies/ml), and minimal ALT elevations. A comparison of intrahepatic cytokine levels in Ch1552 and Ch1605 showed greater and earlier gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor alpha responses in the previously infected animal, responses that were 30-fold greater than baseline responses at week 4 p.i. for IFN-gamma in Ch1552 compared to 12-fold in Ch1605 at week 10 p.i. These data indicate (i) that clonal HCV generated from an infectious RNA transcript will lead to a typical HCV infection in naïve chimpanzees, (ii) that there are memory immune responses in recovered chimpanzees that control HCV infection upon rechallenge, and (iii) that these responses seem to be T-cell mediated, as none of the animals had detectable antibody against the HCV envelope glycoproteins. These observations have encouraging implications for the development of a vaccine for HCV.

Immunization with hepatitis C virus-like particles induces humoral and cellular immune responses in nonhuman primates.

We have previously reported the production of hepatitis C virus-like particles (HCV-LP) using a recombinant baculovirus containing the cDNA of the HCV structural proteins (core, E1, and E2). These particles resemble the putative HCV virions and are capable of inducing strong and broad humoral and cellular immune responses in mice. Here we present evidence on the immunogenicity of HCV-LP and the effects of novel adjuvant systems in a nonhuman primate model, the baboon. Three groups of four baboons were immunized with HCV-LP, HCV-LP and adjuvant AS01B (monophosphoryl lipid A and QS21), or HCV-LP and the combination of AS01B and CpG oligodeoxynucleotides 10105. After four immunizations over an 8-month period, all animals developed HCV-specific humoral and cellular immune responses including antibodies to HCV structural proteins and gamma interferon(+) (IFN-gamma(+))CD4(+) and IFN-gamma(+)CD8(+) T-cell responses. The immunogenicity of HCV-LP was only marginally enhanced by the use of adjuvants. The overall HCV-specific immune responses were broad and long lasting. Our results suggest that HCV-LP is a potent immunogen to induce HCV-specific humoral and cellular immune responses in primates and may be a promising approach to develop novel preventive and therapeutic modalities.

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 function and phenotype of HCV-specific CD8+ T cells in 20 chronically infected and 12 long-term recovered patients. Overall, HCV-specific, tetramer+ T cells were more frequently found in PBMCs of chronically infected patients than in those of recovered patients. However, when compared with HCV-tetramer+ T cells of recovered patients, they displayed an impaired proliferative capacity. As a result of the impaired proliferative capacity, HCV-specific T cell lines derived from chronically infected patients displayed less peptide-specific cytotoxicity than those from recovered patients. In addition, proliferation and ex vivo IFN-gamma production of HCV-tetramer+ cells, but not influenza-virus-specific T cells, were defective in chronically infected patients and could not be restored by in vitro stimulation with peptide and IL-2. At least three distinct phenotypes of HCV-specific CD8+ T cells were identified and associated with certain functional characteristics. In addition, impairment of proliferative, cytokine, and cytotoxic effector functions of tetramer+ T cells in viremic patients was associated with weak ex vivo HCV-specific CD4+ T cell responses. Thus, the defective functions of HCV-specific CD8+ T cells might contribute to viral persistence in chronically infected patients, and knowledge on their reversibility may facilitate the development of immunotherapeutic vaccines.

Molecular and immunological significance of chimpanzee major histocompatibility complex haplotypes for hepatitis C virus immune response and vaccination studies.

The chimpanzee is a critical animal model for studying cellular immune responses to infectious pathogens such as hepatitis B and C viruses, human immunodeficiency virus, and malaria. Several candidate vaccines and immunotherapies for these infections aim at the induction or enhancement of cellular immune responses against viral epitopes presented by common human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) alleles. To identify and characterize chimpanzee MHC class I molecules that are functionally related to human alleles, we sequenced 18 different Pan troglodytes (Patr) alleles of 14 chimpanzees, 2 of them previously unknown and 3 with only partially reported sequences. Comparative analysis of Patr binding pockets and binding assays with biotinylated peptides demonstrated a molecular homology between the binding grooves of individual Patr alleles and the common human alleles HLA-A1, -A2, -A3, and -B7. Using cytotoxic T cells isolated from the blood of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected chimpanzees, we then mapped the Patr restriction of these HCV peptides and demonstrated functional homology between the Patr-HLA orthologues in cytotoxicity and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) release assays. Based on these results, 21 HCV epitopes were selected to characterize the chimpanzees' cellular immune response to HCV. In each case, IFN-gamma-producing T cells were detectable in the blood after but not prior to HCV infection and were specifically targeted against those HCV peptides predicted by Patr-HLA homology. This study demonstrates a close functional homology between individual Patr and HLA alleles and shows that HCV infection generates HCV peptides that are recognized by both chimpanzees and humans with Patr and HLA orthologues. These results are relevant for the design and evaluation of vaccines in chimpanzees that can now be selected according to the most frequent human MHC haplotypes.

Effects of antiviral therapy on the cellular immune response in acute hepatitis C.

Spontaneous recovery occurs in a minority of patients with acute hepatitis C but is associated with vigorous and long-lasting cellular immune responses. Treatment-induced recovery can be achieved in the majority of patients who are treated in the acute phase, but the kinetics and mechanisms of viral clearance and immune responsiveness are not known. Both direct antiviral effects and indirect immune-mediated effects, such as immune modulation of Th2 to Th1 responses and prevention of exhaustion of cellular responses by rapid reduction of viral titer, have been proposed. To investigate how early antiviral therapy affects hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific T cell responses, we performed detailed prospective clinical, virological, and immunological studies on 7 patients with acute hepatitis C who received antiviral therapy and were followed at 2 to 4 week intervals for 1 to 2 years. The total CD4(+) and CD8(+) cell response was analyzed with 600 overlapping HCV peptides and 6 proteins by ex vivo enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot), intracellular cytokine staining, and proliferation assays. In contrast to earlier studies with selected HCV epitopes, this extended analysis detected multispecific interferon gamma(+) (IFN-gamma(+)) responses in each patient, even in the absence of T-cell proliferation. After initiation of antiviral therapy (at a mean of 20 weeks after infection), all sustained responders demonstrated gradually decreasing, then nearly absent HCV-specific T-cell responses, whereas the sole patient who developed viral breakthrough after initial HCV control maintained cellular immune responses. In conclusion, a sustained response to antiviral therapy was not associated with a lasting enhancement of HCV-specific T-cell responsiveness in the blood.

Kinetics of CD4+ and CD8+ memory T-cell responses during hepatitis C virus rechallenge of previously recovered chimpanzees.

The immunological correlates of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific immunity are not well understood. Antibodies to HCV structural proteins do not appear to play a key role in clearance of the virus and do not persist after recovery. Here, we studied the kinetics of the cellular immune responses of three HCV-recovered chimpanzees during rechallenge with increasing doses of homologous HCV. Although HCV envelope antibodies remained undetectable throughout the rechallenge, all animals mounted rapid HCV-specific T-cell responses. The pattern of the cellular immune response in blood and liver correlated with the virological outcome. The animal that most rapidly cleared circulating HCV as determined by nested reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) displayed the most vigorous and sustained response of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma)-producing and proliferating CD4(+) T cells in the blood. Vigorous CD4(+) T-cell proliferation during viremia was followed by an increased frequency and a phenotypic and functional change of the tetramer(+) CD8(+) T-cell population. The second animal cleared HCV initially with strong peripheral and intrahepatic CD4(+) T-cell responses but experienced low-level HCV recrudescence 12 weeks later, when HCV-specific T cells became undetectable. The third animal maintained minute amounts of circulating HCV, detectable only by nested RT-PCR, in the face of a weak IFN-gamma(+) T-cell response. Collectively, the results suggest protective rather than sterilizing immunity after recovery from hepatitis C. The rate of HCV clearance following reexposure depends on the cellular immune response, the quality and quantity of which may vary among chimpanzees that recovered from HCV infection.

The clearance of hepatitis C virus infection in chimpanzees may not necessarily correlate with the appearance of acquired immunity.

Clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in humans and chimpanzees is thought to be associated with the induction of strong T-cell responses. We studied four chimpanzees infected with HCV derived from an infectious full-length HCV genotype 1b cDNA. Two of the chimpanzees cleared the infection to undetectable levels for more than 12 months of follow-up; the other two became persistently infected. Detailed analyses of HCV-specific immune responses were performed during the courses of infection in these chimpanzees. Only weak and transient T helper responses were detected during the acute phase in all four chimpanzees. A comparison of the frequency of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma)-producing CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells in peripheral blood by ELISpot assay did not reveal any correlation between viral clearance and T-cell responses. In addition, analyses of IFN-gamma, IFN-alpha, and interleukin-4 mRNA levels in liver biopsies, presumably indicative of intrahepatic T-cell responses, revealed no distinct pattern in these chimpanzees with respect to infection outcome. The present study suggests that the outcome of HCV infection in chimpanzees is not necessarily attributable to HCV sequence variation and that chimpanzees may recover from HCV infection by mechanisms other than the induction of readily detectable HCV-specific T-cell responses.