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We aimed to verify whether CD4(+)/CD25(+) T cells suppress CD4(+) T cells and secrete Granzyme B (GZB) during acute and chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection. We enrolled 50 subjects: 20 patients with CHC (Group A), 15 healthy individuals (Group B), 10 patients with acute hepatitis C later evolved to persistent infection (Group C) and five patients who resolved hepatitis C virus infection during acute phase (Group D). We analysed, on enrolled subjects CD4(+)/CD25(+) T cells and related GZB production as well as Annexin V activity. Patients from Groups A and C had higher frequency and function of peripheral Treg cells than healthy individuals. Groups A and C showed an increase in spot-forming colonies (SFCs) of GZB compared with Group B (P < 0.01, Mann-Whitney U-test). CD4(+)/CD25(+) T cells in Group D had a lower number of GZB SFCs compared with Groups A and C but higher number than Group B (P < 0.01 Mann-Whitney U-test). Annexin V production was higher in Groups A and C than B or D. Patients having acute and chronic hepatitis C have a higher Treg frequency and function in peripheral blood than healthy controls or those resolving the infection in acute phase secreting GZB, probably inducing apoptosis., (© 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To asses the expression of myeloid dendritic cells (CD11c+) subset during acute HCV hepatitis and its possible involvement in natural history of the infection., Methods: We enrolled 11 patients with acute hepatitis C (AHC) (Group A), 10 patients with acute hepatitis A (AHA) (as infective control-Group B) and 10 healthy donors (group C) in this study. All patients underwent selective flow cytometry gating strategies to assess the peripheral number of the myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) to understand the possible role and differences during acute hepatitis., Results: Eight of 11 patients with acute HCV hepatitis did not show any increase of mDCs compared to healthy individuals, while a significant decrease of mDCs was found in absolute cell count (z = -2.37; P<0.05) and percentage (z = -2.30; P<0.05) as compared with AHA. On the contrary, The remaining three patients of the group A had a higher mDCs number and percentage as occur in group B. Interestingly, after six months, those patients did not show any increase of mDCs subset were chronically infected. while the three subjects with an increase of peripheral mDCs, as in HAV acute infection, resolved the illness., Conclusion: The lack of increase of mDCs during acute hepatitis C might be an important factor involved in chronicization of the infection.

Retrobulbar-ocular circulation provides an opportunity to assess the terminal circulation of the arterial cerebral tree. To evaluate whether retrobulbar circulation in patients with chronic liver disease is affected by adaptive mechanisms, we assessed by echo color Doppler, 1. The resistive-index of the central retinal artery, a terminal branch of the ophthalmic artery, and 2. the potential interrelationships with both liver staging and the most important splanchnic Doppler-parameters used to assess portal hypertension. The resistance index (RI) of the central retinal artery was obtained and compared with other classical Doppler parameters known to be affected by portal hypertension. The RI of the central retinal artery (CRA) was higher in cirrhotic patients than in controls or subjects with chronic hepatitis; it correlated with all the Doppler parameters of portal hypertension considered, with plasma renin-activity, and norepinephrine concentrations. Similarly to renal and splanchnic hemodynamics, retinal arterial circulation assessed by duplex Doppler seems to be affected by the histology of liver disease and by the overactivity of vasoconstrictor systems.

We aimed to verify whether CD4+/ CD25+ T cells suppress CD4+ T cells and secrete Granzyme B ( GZB) during acute and chronic hepatitis C ( CHC) infection. We enrolled 50 subjects: 20 patients with CHC (Group A), 15 healthy individuals (Group B), 10 patients with acute hepatitis C later evolved to persistent infection (Group C) and five patients who resolved hepatitis C virus infection during acute phase (Group D). We analysed, on enrolled subjects CD4+/ CD25+ T cells and related GZB production as well as Annexin V activity. Patients from Groups A and C had higher frequency and function of peripheral Treg cells than healthy individuals. Groups A and C showed an increase in spot-forming colonies ( SFCs) of GZB compared with Group B ( P < 0.01, Mann- Whitney U-test). CD4+/ CD25+ T cells in Group D had a lower number of GZB SFCs compared with Groups A and C but higher number than Group B ( P < 0.01 Mann- Whitney U-test). Annexin V production was higher in Groups A and C than B or D. Patients having acute and chronic hepatitis C have a higher Treg frequency and function in peripheral blood than healthy controls or those resolving the infection in acute phase secreting GZB, probably inducing apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of the present paper was to investigate the factors possibly involved in the failure of pegylated interferon (Peg IFN) plus ribavirin treatment at standard dosage in hepatitis C virus (HCV) 1b patients, with chronic hepatitis. Methods: A fully screened population of 40 virological non-responders (NR) to combined antiviral therapy was selected and matched, 1:1, with a similar cohort of end-therapy virological responders (R). Results: Waist circumference, glucose metabolic impairment, body mass index, non-genetic iron overload, steatosis and fibrosis severity and, finally, arterial hypertension were statistically more frequent in the NR group on Peg IFN plus ribavirin. Increased waist circumference was the strong independent predictor of therapeutical failure. Interestingly, the concomitant presence of cofactors was more significantly represented in NR, whereas in the R cohort this association was found in a few cases only. Conclusion: Insulin-resistance syndrome could contribute to non-response in treated chronic HCV patients, suggesting the presence of dysmetabolic factors that frequently cluster in a critical combination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]