A liver-infiltrating CD4+ Tfh1 cell response predicts HCV control, hepatitis, and seroconversion during acute infection.

ABSTRACT: Sustained CD4+ T cell immunity is required for resolution of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, but the response remains poorly characterized. Here, circulating CD4+ T cells with high programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and ICOS coexpression were temporally associated with onset of virus control, seroconversion, and hepatitis in HCV-infected chimpanzees. Coproduction of T follicular helper (Tfh) (IL-21 and CXCL13) and Th1 (IFN-γ and TNF) cytokines after stimulation with HCV nonstructural proteins demonstrated that the response was predominately Tfh1 like and virus specific. Transcriptional analysis verified a Tfh1 lineage assignment. Effector-related genes such as ADGRG1 (GPR56), ZNF683 (Hobit), and KLRB1 (CD161) were also expressed. HCV-specific PD-1hiICOShi CD4+ Tfh1-like cells were enr

SUBMITTER: Blasczyk H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12578392 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature