TY - JOUR
T1 - Prospective study of natural killer cell phenotype in recurrent hepatitis C virus infection following liver transplantation
AU - Varchetta, Stefania
AU - Oliviero, Barbara
AU - Francesca Donato, M.
AU - Agnelli, Francesca
AU - Rigamonti, Cristina
AU - Paudice, Enrica
AU - Arosio, Eliana
AU - Berra, Mauro
AU - Rossi, Giorgio
AU - Tinelli, Carmine
AU - Fagnoni, Francesco F.
AU - Colombo, Massimo
AU - Mavilio, Domenico
AU - Mondelli, Mario U.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by a grant from the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research MIUR (Progetti di Ricerca di Interesse Nazionale-PRIN), by Research Funds of the Italian Ministry of Health (Ricerca Corrente, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo), by an unrestricted research grant from Schering-Plough, Italy, by COPEV Associazione per la Prevenzione e Cura dell’Epatite Virale Beatrice Vitiello ONLUS, and by a generous donation from Mr. Maurizio Traglio. We thank Prof. Alessandro Moretta, Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa, Italy, for providing invaluable reagents. We also thank the patients for donating their precious blood to perform these studies.
PY - 2009/2
Y1 - 2009/2
N2 - Background/Aims: Graft re-infection invariably occurs after liver transplantation (OLT) for chronic hepatitis C and disease progression is unpredictable. We prospectively examined peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) subsets and natural killer (NK) cell receptors (NKRs) in patients with recurrent hepatitis C post-OLT. Methods: PBMC were obtained at baseline and at different time points after OLT. NKRs were identified using monoclonal antibodies by flow cytometry. Results: The proportions of NK, natural T (NT), total and γδ T cells were significantly reduced (p < 0.01) 7 days post-transplant, probably as a result of graft repopulation. NKG2D+ NK cells were significantly higher compared with healthy controls (p < 0.01), declined post-OLT and subsequently returned to baseline values. This, together with a progressive increase in the proportion of CD94/NKG2C+ NK cells over time (p ≤ 0.01), appeared to be related to hepatitis C recurrence. There was a statistically significant correlation between expression of the natural cytotoxicity receptors (NCRs) and ALT (p < 0.05), supporting the hypothesis that NK cells participate in the necroinflammatory process. Conclusions: The data are compatible with homing of immune cells to the liver allograft after surgery, most of which return to pre-OLT levels. HCV recurrence may cause variations in selected NKRs expression akin to other viral infections.
AB - Background/Aims: Graft re-infection invariably occurs after liver transplantation (OLT) for chronic hepatitis C and disease progression is unpredictable. We prospectively examined peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) subsets and natural killer (NK) cell receptors (NKRs) in patients with recurrent hepatitis C post-OLT. Methods: PBMC were obtained at baseline and at different time points after OLT. NKRs were identified using monoclonal antibodies by flow cytometry. Results: The proportions of NK, natural T (NT), total and γδ T cells were significantly reduced (p < 0.01) 7 days post-transplant, probably as a result of graft repopulation. NKG2D+ NK cells were significantly higher compared with healthy controls (p < 0.01), declined post-OLT and subsequently returned to baseline values. This, together with a progressive increase in the proportion of CD94/NKG2C+ NK cells over time (p ≤ 0.01), appeared to be related to hepatitis C recurrence. There was a statistically significant correlation between expression of the natural cytotoxicity receptors (NCRs) and ALT (p < 0.05), supporting the hypothesis that NK cells participate in the necroinflammatory process. Conclusions: The data are compatible with homing of immune cells to the liver allograft after surgery, most of which return to pre-OLT levels. HCV recurrence may cause variations in selected NKRs expression akin to other viral infections.
KW - Innate immunity
KW - Liver transplantation
KW - Natural killer cells
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/58149295512
U2 - 10.1016/j.jhep.2008.10.018
DO - 10.1016/j.jhep.2008.10.018
M3 - Article
SN - 0168-8278
VL - 50
SP - 314
EP - 322
JO - Journal of Hepatology
JF - Journal of Hepatology
IS - 2
ER -
