CD8⁺ T-Cell Exhaustion Phenotype in Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection Is Associated With Epitope Sequence Variation.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

During chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, CD8⁺ T-cells become functionally exhausted, undergoing progressive phenotypic changes, i.e., overexpression of "inhibitory" molecules such as PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) and/or Tim-3 (T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing molecule-3). The extreme intrahost genetic diversity of HCV is a major mechanism of immune system evasion, facilitating epitope escape. The aim of the present study was to determine whether T-cell exhaustion phenotype in chronic HCV infection is related to the sequence repertoire of NS3 viral immunodominant epitopes.

Methods

The study population was ninety prospective patients with chronic HCV genotype 1b infection. Populations of peripheral blood CD8

SUBMITTER: Osuch S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8977521 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature