Amount of CD4+/CD28+or CD4+/CD26+lymphocytes in peripheral blood in patients with chronic hepatitis C during interferon-beta therapy

CD4+ lymphocytes have both helper and inducer functions and play an importa nt role in the initial phase of host immune responses against viruses. The CD26 and CD28 antigens on the cell surface of these lymphocyte subpopulatio ns are important molecules, which promote antibody production and/or cytoto xic T-cell activation. We focused on the lymphocyte subpopulations of CD4+/ CD26+ and CD4+/CD28+ in peripheral blood and analyzed the correlation betwe en therapeutic response to interferon (IFN) and changes in these lymphocyte subpopulations during IFN therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Tw enty-two patients with chronic hepatitis C were given a daily intravenous i njection of IFN-beta at a dose of 6 million units for 6 or 8 weeks. Pretrea tment and posttreatment subpopulations of CD4+/CD26+ (%) and CD4+/CD28+ (%) in the peripheral blood were determined and the change rate (pretreatment level - posttreatment level)/the pretreatment level x 100 (%) was calculate d. Logistic regression analysis showed that the pretreatment hepatitis C vi rus RNA levels, measured by the branched DNA probe method and the increase in CD4+/CD28+ lymphocyte subpopulation rate were predictors of poor IFN res ponse (p = 0.043 and 0.042 respectively r(2) = 0.28).