Telomerase Expression Related with Poor Immune Response to HCV Core Antigen in Egyptian HCV Patients' PBMCs

Overview

Journal J Clin Exp Hepatol

Publisher Elsevier

Specialty Gastroenterology

Date 2023 Nov 17

PMID 37975051

Authors

Iman H Ibrahim

Ola Sayed M Ali

Adel A El-Sahar

Mohamed Elrefaei

Nabila El-Sheikh

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignant tumor of the liver.

Aim: This study aimed to assess serum human telomerase enzyme (hTERT) levels and their relation to the progression of liver disease. Also, it aimed to assess the effect of hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein on memory T-cells in HCV patients with or without HCC and the correlation between memory cell phenotype and the progression of the disease in the same patients.

Methods: HTERT level in serum was assessed through relative quantitative RT-PCR. Flow cytometric analysis was used to assess T-cell responsiveness (as IFN- γ secretion) before and after stimulation with HCV core protein and the memory CD8+ cell phenotype using several differentiation markers.

Results: HTERT was found to be increased in a stepwise manner upon comparing its level in controls, chronic hepatitis patients, cirrhotic patients, and HCC patients. T-cells showed a similar manner of stepwise decrease in response (decreased IFN- γ secretion) in HCC patients compared to HCV patients without HCC and controls. Also, late differentiated memory cells (CD8+, CD27-, CD28-, CD45RA+, and CCR7-) were depleted in HCC patients compared to HCV patients without HCC.

Conclusion: These results suggest a negative correlation between hTERT and IFN- γ secretion by T-cells in HCV patients and that this relationship, along with the depletion of late differentiated memory cells, could help the progression of liver disease to HCC.

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