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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology
Hepatitis C virus-multispecific T-cell responses without viremia or seroconversion among Egyptian health care workers at high risk of infection
Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, Volume 19, No. 5, Year 2012
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Description
Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific cell-mediated immunity (CMI) has been reported among exposed individuals without viremia or seroconversion. Limited data are available regarding CMI among at-risk, seronegative, aviremic Egyptian health care workers (HCW), where HCV genotype 4 predominates. We investigated CMI responses among HCW at the National Liver Institute, where over 85% of the patients are HCV infected. We quantified HCV-specific CMI in 52 seronegative aviremic Egyptian HCW using a gamma interferon (IFN-γ) enzyme-linked immunospot assay in response to 7 HCV genotype 4a overlapping 15-mer peptide pools covering most of the viral genome. A positive HCV-specific IFN-γ response was detected in 29 of 52 HCW (55.8%), where 21 (40.4%) had a positive response for two to seven HCV pools and 8 (15.4%) responded to only one pool. The average numbers of IFN-γ total spot-forming cells (SFC) per million peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) (±standard error of the mean [SEM]) in the 29 responding and 23 nonresponding HCW were 842±141 and 64±15, respectively (P<0.001). Flow cytometry indicated that both CD4 + and CD4 - T cells produced IFN-γ. In summary, more than half of Egyptian HCW demonstrated strong HCV multispecific CMI without viremia or seroconversion, suggesting possible clearance of low HCV exposure( s). These data suggest that detecting anti-HCV and viremia to determine past exposure to HCV can lead to an underestimation of the true disease exposure and that CMI response may contribute to the low degree of chronic HCV infection in these HCW. These findings could have strong implications for planning vaccine studies among populations with a high HCV exposure rate. Further studies are needed to determine whether these responses are protective. Copyright © 2012, American Society for Microbiology.
Authors & Co-Authors
Abdelwahab, Sayed F.
Egypt, Minya
Faculty of Medicine
Egypt, Giza
Egyptian Company for Blood Transfusion Services Egyblood/vacsera
Ali, Zainab Z.
Egypt, Giza
Egyptian Company for Blood Transfusion Services Egyblood/vacsera
Sobhy, Maha
Egypt, Giza
Egyptian Company for Blood Transfusion Services Egyblood/vacsera
Rewisha, Eman Ahmed
Egypt, Shibin el Kom
Menoufia University
Abdel-Samiee, Mohamed
Egypt, Shibin el Kom
Menoufia University
Amer, Mahmoud A.
Egypt, Giza
Faculty of Science
Del Sorbo, Mariarosaria
Italy, Rome
Reithera Srl
Capone, Stefania
Italy, Rome
Reithera Srl
Nicosia, Alfredo
Italy, Rome
Reithera Srl
Italy, Naples
Ceinge-biotecnologie Avanzate S.c.a R.l.
Italy, Naples
Università Degli Studi Di Napoli Federico Ii
Folgori, Antonella
Italy, Rome
Reithera Srl
Mohamed Hashem,
Egypt, Giza
Egyptian Company for Blood Transfusion Services Egyblood/vacsera
United States, Baltimore
University of Maryland School of Medicine
El-Kamary, Samer S.
United States, Baltimore
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Statistics
Citations: 22
Authors: 12
Affiliations: 8
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1128/CVI.00050-12
ISSN:
15566811
e-ISSN:
1556679X
Research Areas
Genetics And Genomics
Infectious Diseases