Hepatitis C virus infection after liver transplantation is associated with lower levels of activated CD4+CD25+CD45RO+IL-7rαhigh T cells
✍ Scribed by Donatella Ciuffreda; Laura Codarri; Leo Buhler; Laure Vallotton; Emiliano Giostra; Gilles Mentha; Philippe Morel; Giuseppe Pantaleo; Manuel Pascual
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2010
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 421 KB
- Volume
- 16
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1527-6465
- DOI
- 10.1002/lt.21959
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✦ Synopsis
The expression of interleukin 7 receptor alpha high (IL-7R␣ high ) discriminates between activated CD25 ϩ CD45RO ϩ CD4 ϩ T cells [IL-7R␣ high and forkhead box P3-negative (FoxP3 Ϫ )] and regulatory T cells (IL-7R␣ low and FoxP3 ϩ ). The IL-7R␣ high CD25 ϩ CD45RO ϩ CD4 ϩ FoxP3 Ϫ T cell population has been shown to be expanded in the blood and tissues of patients after kidney transplantation and to contain alloreactive T cells (activated T cells). In the present study, we analyzed the distribution of IL-7R␣ high CD25 ϩ CD45RO ϩ CD4 ϩ FoxP3 Ϫ T cells in the blood of 53 patients after liver transplantation. The IL-7R␣ high CD25 ϩ CD45RO ϩ CD4 ϩ FoxP3 Ϫ T cell population was significantly expanded (P Ͻ 0.0001) in stable transplant recipients versus healthy donors. However, the magnitude of the expansion was significantly higher (P Ͻ 0.0001) in liver transplant recipients with no hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in comparison with those with a preexisting HCV infection. Interestingly, effective suppression of HCV viremia after antiviral therapy was associated with an increase in the IL-7R␣ high CD25 ϩ CD45RO ϩ CD4 ϩ FoxP3 Ϫ T cell population to levels comparable to those of liver transplant recipients not infected with HCV. The present results indicate that (1) the IL-7R␣ high CD25 ϩ CD45RO ϩ CD4 ϩ FoxP3 Ϫ T cell population is expanded after liver transplantation, (2) it is a valuable immunological marker for monitoring activated and potential alloreactive CD4 T cells in liver transplantation, and (3) a preexisting HCV infection negatively influences the expansion of this population in liver transplant recipients.