The Relationship Between MDSCs and NK Cells Activity of CHC Patient Treated by DAAs

The Relationship Between Direct Acting Antiviral Treatment Effect and Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells and NK Cells Activity in Chronic Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is easy to chronic and can progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Direct-acting antiviral treatment can significantly improve the prognosis of the disease and the efficacy is seemingly not affected by a variety of viral factors. In addition, direct-acting antiviral agents therapy may affect the transformation of the immune cells and ameliorate the host immune status consequently. This study mainly investigated the relationship between Direct Acting Antiviral Treatment effect and the functional activity of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and natural killer cells (NK cells) in Chronic Hepatitis C.

32 treatment-naive CHC patients and 20 healthy controls were recruited. Patients were examined before DAAs therapy (0w) and at weeks 4 (4w) and weeks 12 (12w) and weeks24 (24w) of the therapy. The percent age of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and NK cells of the peripheral blood were analyzed by flow cytometry. The investigators discuss the relationship between direct acting antiviral treatment effect and myeloid-derived suppressor cells and NK cells activity in chronic hepatitis C.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Positive serum Anti-HCV antibody or serum HCV-RNA, CHC patients without any treatment

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient has a history of clinical signs/symptoms of hepatic decompensation (Child-Pugh Grade B or C) or ascites, esophageal variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, or spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.
• Patient has a history of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or suspected symptoms of HCC, such as suspicious foci on imaging studies and/or serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)>50ng/mL.
• Patient has received IFN or other immunomodulatory treatment within 52 weeks before Screening.

Patient has a medical condition that requires frequent use of systemic acyclovir or famciclovir.

• Patient has a medical condition that requires frequent use of systemic corticosteroids, however topical and inhaled corticosteroids are allowed.

Patient has used hepatotoxic drugs within one month. Patient has overtaken alcohol (>40g/day) or abused illicit drugs in recent one year.

• Pregnant or nursing (lactating) women, where pregnancy is defined as the state of a female after conception and until the termination of gestation, confirmed by a positive urine pregnancy test.
• Patients who co-infected with HAV, HBV, HDV, HEV,HIV(human immunodeficiency virus ) Patient has one or more additional known primary or secondary causes of liver disease, other than hepatitis C (e.g., alcoholism, autoimmune hepatitis).

History of malignancy of any organ system.