Lymphocyte phenotyping of peripheral blood in HCV-infected patients and its relation to autoimmunity in KSA

ABSTRACT

Hepatitis C virus [HCV] infection is associated with immune mediated abnormalities and B- cell lymphoproliferation. CD81 was identified as an HCV receptor on B- lymphocytes. The antigen CD19 is associated with CD81 B- cells at different stages of maturation. Expression of CD5 lymohocytes was associated with non-HCV related autoimmune disorders. Therefore we try to evaluate the clinical significance of B- lymphocyte phenotyping of peripheral blood [PB] in HCV-infected patients with and witout autoimmune markers, rheumatoid factor [RF], antinucear antibody [ANA], and ati- double stranded [Anti ds DNA], where PB CD5, CD19 and CD81 expression were determined in 20 EDTA samples of healthy persons [group I] and 40 samples of HCV- infected persons [25 with negative autoimmune markers [group IIa] and 15 with positive autoimmune markers [group IIb]. All persons were Saudies, age [25-65 years]. Method: Flow cytometry was used to estimate percentage of antigen expression of CD5, CD19 and CD81over B-lymphocytes. Indicated that CD5 expression was significantly increased in group IIb than group IIa and group I [28 +/- 3.2%, 25 +/- 4.2% and 13.3 +/- 5.8% respectively p <0.0001]. The same increase occurs in the mean values for CD 19 [grop I 3.5 +/- 1.6%, group IIa 14 +/- 2.5% and group IIb 23 +/- 3.1% p<0.0001], while CD81 mean values were group I 50 +/- 28%, group IIa 78 +/- 16% and group IIb 92 +/- 12%. Increased expression of CD5, CD19 and CD81 on B- lymphocytes in HCV- infected patients with higher values with positive autoimmune markers, suggests the high clinical significance of peripheral blood B- lymphocyte phenotyping as predictive and diagnosic tool for autoimmune serconversionin HCV-infected patients. Also it can be a prognostic guide for successful treatment or highlight for new antiviral and autoimmune treatment