Published online Apr 15, 2002. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v8.i2.298
Revised: October 3, 2001
Accepted: October 11, 2001
Published online: April 15, 2002
AIM: To study the levels of membrane interleukin-2 receptor (mIL-2R) and T cell subsets in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with hepatitis C and their role in the pathogenesis of hepatitis C.
METHODS: The levels of mIL-2R and T cells subsets in PBMC were detected by biotin- streptatividin (BSA) technique before and after stimulation with PHA in 203 patients with hepatitis C with HCV-RNA (+), anti-HCV (+), anti-HCV (-).
RESULTS: The total expressive levels of mIL-2R before and after stimulation with PHA (0.03 ± 0.01, 0.03 ± 0.02, 0.04 ± 0.02, 0.36 ± 0.03), and T cell subsets in PBMC (0.62 ± 0.06, 0.37 ± 0.05, 0.35 ± 0.07) were all lower in patients with hepatitis C than those in normal controls (0.66 ± 0.07, 0.41 ± 0.06, 0.31 ± 0.05, P < 0.01). Among the patients, the levels of mIL-2R were lower in silence than those in situation of PHA inducting (P < 0.01). However, the levels of mIL-2R were similar in acute hepatitis C to that in chronic hepatitis C (P > 0.05). The levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ were lower and CD8+ was higher in patients with acute and chronic hepatitis C with anti-HCV (+) than those in normal controls (0.62 ± 0.06, 0.37 ± 0.05, 0.35 ± 0.07, 1.18 ± 0.30, 0.61 ± 0.07, 0.37 ± 0.05, 1.39 ± 0.33, 0.31 ± 0.05, P < 0.05 - P < 0.01).
CONCLUSION: The cellular immunity is obviously changed in patients with hepatitis C. The levels of mIL-2R and activation of T cells are closely associated with chronicity of hepatitis C.