Hepatitis D virus-specific cytokine responses in patients with chronic hepatitis delta before and during interferon alfa-treatment.
Liver Int
; 31(9): 1395-405, 2011 Oct.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-21762356
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Hepatitis delta is caused by infection with the hepatitis D virus (HDV) and is considered the most severe form of viral hepatitis. Treatment options for hepatitis delta are limited, with only 25% of patients responding to interferon (IFN)-alfa-based therapies. The role of the adaptive immune system in controlling HDV infection during spontaneous or treatment-induced viral clearance is not well understood.METHODS:
We studied HDV-specific cytokine production of peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with HDV peptide pools as well as serum cytokine levels in well-characterized patients with chronic HDV infection before and during pegylated-interferon-alfa±adefovir therapy.RESULTS:
Hepatitis D virus-specific interleukin (IL)-2, IFN-γ-, interferon-inducible protein-10 and IL-10-responses were detectable in 53%, 35%, 65% and 6% of hepatitis delta patients. HDV-specific IFN-γ responses tended to be more common in patients with low HDV viral loads. HDV-specific cytokine responses declined during pegylated (PEG)-IFNa therapy and patterns of changes were associated with the treatment response. Serum cytokine levels also showed distinct changes during PEG-IFNa treatment.CONCLUSION:
We suggest that cellular HDV-specific immune responses contribute to the control of HDV infection and that cytokine responses may indicate response to type-I-IFN-based antiviral therapy of hepatitis delta.
Full text:
1
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Antiviral Agents
/
Polyethylene Glycols
/
Hepatitis Delta Virus
/
Cytokines
/
Interferon-alpha
/
Hepatitis D, Chronic
Type of study:
Clinical_trials
/
Diagnostic_studies
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
En
Year:
2011
Type:
Article