CD81 expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes before and after treatment with interferon and ribavirin in HIV/HCV coinfected patients

Micheloud, Dariela; González-Nicolás, Josefa; Berenguer, Juan; Lorente, Raquel; Miralles, Pilar; López, J C; Cosín, Jaime; Catalán, Pilar; Muñoz‐Fernández, María Ángeles; Resino, Salvador

doi:10.1111/j.1468-1293.2009.00758.x

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 40 publications

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“…The process of HCV entry and propagation in lymphocytes is one that requires further investigation, as the mechanism of entry of HCV into hepatocytes is now well recognised to involve the tetraspannin CD‐81, scavenger receptor, SR‐B1, inter‐cellular junction, claudin molecules and occludin, an epithelial tight‐junction complex protein, 129 cholesterol uptake receptor, NPC1L1, 130 epidermal growth‐factor receptor and ephrin receptor A2 131 . Of these, CD‐81, 132 SR‐B1 133 and ephrin receptor A2 134 have recently been found on the surface of lymphocytes. The presence or absence of NPC1L1 and epidermal growth‐factor receptor on the surface of lymphocytes has not yet been established.…”

Section: Summary and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occult infection with hepatitis C virus: friend or foe?

et al. 2012

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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global pandemic associated with a growing disease burden due to cirrhosis and the consequent morbidity and mortality. Transmission is largely via blood-to-blood contact. Following primary infection, a minority of individuals clear the infection predominantly via cellular immune mechanisms, whereas the majority become chronically infected. Recent data suggest that a third outcome may also be possible, termed 'occult' infection in which subjects who are known, or suspected to have previously been infected with HCV, no longer have viral RNA in their serum at levels detectable by sensitive commercial assays, but do have virus detected by ultra-sensitive techniques. Occult infection has also been detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, which may indicate an extra-hepatic reservoir of the virus. Although the clinical significance of occult infection remains unknown, most authors have raised concerns of recrudescent infection. Here we critically review the published literature, suggest further avenues of investigation and propose that occult infection may be beneficial to the host by maintaining immunological memory to protect against reinfection. Keywords: occult infection; hepatitis C virus; PCR Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects 3% of the world's population or approximately 210 million people. 1 HCV is parenterally transmitted, predominantly in association with injecting drug use and sharing of the injecting apparatus in the developed world and with reuse of contaminated medical devices in both western and traditional health-care settings in the developing world. The major morbidity and mortality from HCV infection occurs in people who become persistently infected with the virus resulting in chronic hepatic inflammation, progressive fibrosis and ultimately cirrhosis, liver failure and an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. 2 Two major outcomes of primary HCV infection are recognisedviral clearance or chronic infection, which occurs in 50-80% of people infected. 2 Both outcomes are marked by an antibody response to the virus, with chronic infection being associated with ongoing viraemia (beyond 6 months), typically in association with abnormalities in the liver function tests. Chronic infection may be successfully treated with combination antiviral therapy with pegylated interferon (IFN)-a and ribavirin for 24 or 48 weeks depending on viral genotype, leading to sustained clearance of viraemia in approximately 50-80% of all those treated. 3 There is much optimism in HCV-treatment programs with clinical trials of several protease and polymerase inhibitors having promising results, 4 and two (boceprevir and telaprevir) recently licensed. However, following both natural clearance and successful antiviral therapy, there is very limited evidence of immunity to afford protection against reinfection. 5 A growing body of evidence suggests that a third outcome may also be possible-in the form of occult infection. This is defined as a phenomenon in which subjects wit...

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