Search results for "Interferon"
showing 10 items of 963 documents
Serum hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA and response to alpha-interferon in anti-HCV positive chronic hepatitis
1992
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication was assessed before and during alpha-interferon (IFN) treatment in 22 anti-HCV positive patients with posttransfusion or sporadic chronic hepatitis (CH). Eleven patients were “responders” and 11 patients “non-responders” to IFN. Thirteen anti-HCV negative healthy subjects and five anti-HCV negative patients with autoimmune CH served as controls. Serum HCV-RNA was detected by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in all untreated anti-HCV positive patients but in none of the anti-HCV negative subjects. PCR primers from the 5′-non-coding (NC) region were more sensitive than primers from a non-structural (NS5) region in detecting HCV-RNA (21/22, 95% vs. 7/22, …
Endogenous levels of mRNA for IFNs and IFN-related genes in hepatic biopsies of chronic HCV-infected and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis patients.
2003
To investigate the intra-hepatic activation of the IFN system in patients affected by chronic HCV-infection in comparison with that observed in a non-infectious liver disease such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, we measured the liver steady state mRNA levels of interferon-alpha, interferon-beta and interferon-gamma as well as of IFN-related genes (IFNAR-1, STAT1alpha, PKR, 2-5 AS, IRF-1, ICE and IL-18). In HCV-infected subjects, possible correlations of these parameters with viral load and liver injury were also analyzed. Twenty-four chronic untreated HCV-infected subjects and seven patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis were enrolled in the study. Liver biopsies were graded accordin…
Circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in chronic hepatitis C patients with normal or elevated aminotransferase before and after alpha-interfe…
2001
<i>Objectives:</i> Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) plays a fundamental role during liver inflammation. In fact, weak ICAM-1 expression is physiologically restricted to the endothelium of portal vessels and to sinusoidal lining cells, but it becomes markedly evident on sinusoidal lining cells and at the surface of hepatocytes during inflammatory liver diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the behaviour of soluble ICAM-1 (sICAM-1) in chronic hepatitis C (CH-C) patients with persistently normal aminotransferase in comparison with patients with CH-C and elevated aminotransferase, and its changes during α-interferon (IFN) therapy. Immunohistochemical localization…
Optimized threshold for serum HCV RNA to predict treatment outcomes in hepatitis C patients receiving peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin
2012
It is unclear whether the current threshold for 'high' hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA level (800,000 IU/mL) is optimal for predicting sustained virological response (SVR). We retrospectively analysed pretreatment HCV RNA levels and SVR rates in 1529 mono-infected and 176 HIV-HCV co-infected patients treated with peginterferon alfa-2a (40 kD) plus ribavirin. We improved the threshold for differentiating low and high viral load by fitting semiparametric generalized additive logistic regression models to the data and constructing receiver operating characteristics curves. Among HCV genotype 1 mono-infected patients, the difference in SVR rates between those with low and high baseline HCV RNA leve…
In vitro treatment with interleukin-2 normalizes type-1 cytokine production by lymphocytes from elderly
2000
The term immunosenescence is taken to mean the deterioration of immune function seen in elderly, which is manifested in increased susceptibility to infectious diseases, neoplasias, and autoimmune diseases. It is only recently that we have begun to understand the cellular and molecular changes involved. Of special interest in this regard are observations of a decline in synthesis of Type-1 cytokines which predisposes to diminished cell mediated immunity. We have evaluated the production of type 1 cytokines in old and young donors either in presence or in absence of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2). Lymphocytes were stimulated with plastic bound anti-CD3 and after 48 h the supernatants were …
Markers of T Lymphocyte Activation in HLA-B8, DR3 Positive Individuals
1990
Many autoimmune diseases are associated in Caucasians with HLA-B8 and/or HLA-DR3 antigens. There is evidence that bearers of these antigens may display significant changes in immune parameters when compared to individuals not having these antigens. Recently, increased numbers of blood activated T lymphocytes have been reported in the majority of these diseases. The increase in activated blood T lymphocytes is paradoxically characterized by an in vitro impairment of T cell activation. Particularly, an inadequate production of interleukins has been observed. We have studied blood levels of activated T cells in HLA-typed, healthy subjects. The results show that the percentage of activated T ce…
Enhanced inflammatory and T-helper-1 type responses but suppressed lymphocyte proliferation in patients with seasonal affective disorder and treated …
2015
Abstract Background Animals show seasonal changes in the endocrine and immune system in response to winter stressors. Even though increased inflammation has been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression, whether immune disorder is a key mediator in seasonal affective depression (SAD) is unknown. Here, we hypothesized that short photoperiods in winter may induce inflammatory response, which contributes to SAD, and that light treatments should normalize immune function and improve depressive symptoms. Methods Twenty patients with a diagnosis of SAD, and a score on the HAM-29 of 20 or higher were recruited for this study. Twenty-one healthy subjects with no personal and family history o…
The viral clearance in interferon-treated chronic hepatitis C is associated with increased cytotoxic T cell frequencies
1999
Abstract Background/Aims: Cytotoxic T lymphocytes have been demonstrated in peripheral blood and liver tissue of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection, but their significance for viral clearance is unknown. Therefore, we analyzed hepatitis C virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursor frequencies in chronic hepatitis C virus carriers during interferon-α treatment. Methods: Blood mononuclear cells or CD8+ T cells from HLA-A2 positive and negative patients and controls were analyzed in chromium-release assays using a panel of 18 synthetic peptides from the HCV core, E1 and NS4 antigens bearing HLA-A2 binding motifs. Specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursor frequencies were st…
Cellular Immunity in Adolescents and Adults following Acellular Pertussis Vaccine Administration
2007
ABSTRACT Cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses to an acellular pertussis vaccine administered to 49 subjects, a subset of participants in the National Institutes of Health-funded adult acellular pertussis vaccine efficacy trial, were evaluated and compared with antibody responses to vaccine antigens. Levels of proliferation of and cytokine secretion from lymphocytes cultured in the presence of pertussis toxin, filamentous hemagglutinin, or pertactin were measured before vaccination and 1 month and 1 year after vaccination. Statistically significant increases in lymphocyte stimulation indices and cytokine secretion were noted at both 1 month and 1 year after vaccination. Brisk pertussis antig…
Relevance of gamma interferon, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interleukin-10 gene polymorphisms to susceptibility to Mediterranean spotted fever.
2009
Several studies have demonstrated that cellular immunity plays a critical role in the protective immune response against Rickettsia conorii. Immune CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are both involved in the control of rickettsial infection (38). Perivascular infiltrated CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, macrophages, and natural killer cells produce chemokines and cytokines that activate endothelial rickettsicidal activities. Infected human cells, including endothelial cells, hepatocytes, and macrophages, activated by gamma interferon (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), kill intracellular rickettsiae by one or a combination of three mechanisms, involving nitric oxide syn…