Association of chronic hepatitis C infection with T-cell phenotypes in HIV-negative and HIV-positive women.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) viremia is thought to have broad systemic effects on the cellular immune system that go beyond its impact on just those T cells that are HCV specific. However, previous studies of chronic HCV and circulating T-cell subsets (activation and differentiation phenotypes) in HIV negatives used general population controls, rather than a risk-appropriate comparison group. Studies in HIV positives did not address overall immune status (total CD4⁺ count).

Methods

We used fresh blood from HIV-positive and at-risk HIV-negative women, with and without chronic HCV, to measure percentages of activated CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells, Tregs, and T-cell differentiation phenotypes (naive, central memory, effector memory (EM), and terminally differentiated effector). T

SUBMITTER: Kuniholm MH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4197408 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature