Changes of immunocytes in livers of chronic hepatitis C patients treated with IFN alpha-2b and ribavirin / 中华肝脏病杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the immunocytodynamic changes in the livers of chronic hepatitis C patients treated with IFN alpha-2b and ribavirin and to find new bases for an effective immune regulation therapy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-two chronic hepatitis C patients were treated with combined IFN alpha-2b and ribavirin and their peripheral blood and liver tissues were collected before the treatment for analyses. After the treatment, peripheral blood and liver tissue specimens were obtained from only 11 patients. All the specimens were exposed to three monoclonal antibody fluorescence dyes, and the CD45+ cells with triple colors were analyzed using flow cytometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared to the control groups, the positive rates of CD56+, CD57+, CD161+ cells in the livers of those with chronic hepatitis C sharply decreased (Probability value less than 0.01), and CD56+T cells had decreased mildly; CD28 from the CD56+T cells decreased mildly, but the expression of CD152 increased (P<0.05); the positive rates of CD83+CD1a+ cells had decreased mildly, and the positive rates of CD80+CD11c+ and the CD86+CD11c+ cells significantly decreased (P<0.01). After the treatment, the CD56+, CD161+, CD56+T, CD161+T, CD80+CD11c+, CD86+CD11c+ cells in the responding group increased.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Combined interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin treatment can improve the suppressed cell immunity function.</p>