Rapid Communication
Copyright ©2006 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Apr 7, 2006; 12(13): 2089-2094
Published online Apr 7, 2006. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i13.2089
Reduction of virus burden-induced splenectomy in patients with liver cirrhosis related to hepatitis C virus infection
Tetsuro Sekiguchi, Takeaki Nagamine, Hitoshi Takagi, Masatomo Mori
Tetsuro Sekiguchi, Hitoshi Takagi, Masatomo Mori, Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
Takeaki Nagamine, School of Health Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Takeaki Nagamine, MD, School of Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi 371-8514, Japan. mine@health.gunma-u.ac.jp
Telephone: +81-27-2208923 Fax: +81-27-2208923
Received: September 16, 2005
Revised: October 15, 2005
Accepted: October 26, 2005
Published online: April 7, 2006
Abstract

AIM: To examine the hepatitis C virus (HCV) levels and immunological markers in cirrhotic patients after splenectomy.

METHODS: HCV RNA titers as well as cellular and humoral immune markers were determined in 20 cirrhotic patients after splenectomy and in 32 cirrhotic controls with an intact spleen.

RESULTS: Serum HCV RNA titers were lower in the splenectomized patients than in the controls (186  ±  225 × 103 copies/mL vs 541  ±  417 × 103 copies/mL, P < 0.01). HCV RNA was judged to have been spontaneously eradicated in 4 splenectomized patients, but in none of the controls. Natural killer cell activity was higher in the splenectomized patients than in the controls (41.2  ±  19.3% vs 24.7  ±  15.3%, P < 0.01), and natural killer cell activity was negatively correlated to HCV RNA titers in the splenectomized patients except in those with serotype 2-related infection. The CD4/CD8 ratio was significantly lower in the splenectomized patients than in the controls.

CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that splenectomy may diminish virus burden in cirrhotic patients with HCV infection at least in part, through augmentation of natural killer cell activity.

Keywords: Hepatitis C virus; Liver cirrhosis; Natural killer cell; Splenectomy