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Elbaz S, Mousa N, Elmetwalli A, Abdel-Razik A, Salah M, ElHammady A, Abdelsalam M, Abdelkader E, El-Wakeel N, Eldars W, El-Emam O, Elbeltagy A, Shaheen M, El-Zamek H, Mousa E, Deiab A, Elgamal A, Habib A. Unraveling IL-17 and IL-22 role in occult hepatitis C versus chronic hepatitis C virus infection. BMC Infect Dis 2024; 24:134. [PMID: 38273234 PMCID: PMC10811848 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09032-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cytokines play a crucial role in regulating the function of the immune system by controlling the production, differentiation, and activity of immune cells. Occult hepatitis C virus (OHCV) infection can lead to liver damage, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. This study investigates the immunopathogenic impact of the cytokines IL-17 and IL-22 in OHCV infection compared to chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection. METHODS We studied three groups of patients: 35 with OHCV, 100 untreated patients with CHC, and 30 healthy control subjects. All subjects underwent physical examination and biochemical testing. We used the sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method to measure serum IL-17 and IL-22 levels in all groups. RESULTS Compared to the occult and control groups, the CHC group had significantly higher serum IL-17 levels (p < 0.001). The occult group also had higher serum IL-17 levels compared to the control group (p < 0.0001). There were no significant differences in IL-22 levels across the research groups. In the OHCV group, individuals with moderate inflammation (A2-A3) had significantly higher serum IL-17 levels than those with minimal inflammation (A0-A1), while in the CHC group, this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.601). Neither the occult nor the CHC groups showed a correlation between serum IL-22 and inflammatory activity. There was no significant correlation between the levels of IL-17 or IL-22 and the stage of fibrosis/cirrhosis in either group. ROC curves were calculated for serum IL-17 and IL-22 levels and occult HCV infection, with cut-off values set at ≤ 32.1 pg/ml and < 14.3 pg/ml for IL-17 and IL-22, respectively. The AUROC (95%CI) was significantly higher for IL-17 than IL-22 (0.829 (0.732-0.902) vs. 0.504 (0.393-0.614), p < 0.001), suggesting that IL-17 has a stronger correlation with infection risk than IL-22. CONCLUSION This study suggests that IL-17 may be involved in the immunopathogenesis of OHCV infection, especially in patients with moderate inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherif Elbaz
- Endemic Diseases and Gastroenterology Department, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt
| | - Nasser Mousa
- Tropical Medicine Department, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
- Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
| | - Alaa Elmetwalli
- Department of Clinical Trial Research Unit and Drug Discovery, Egyptian Liver Research Institute and Hospital (ELRIAH), Mansoura, Egypt
| | | | - Mohamed Salah
- Tropical Medicine Department, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Amr ElHammady
- Internal Medicine Department, Banha University, Banha, Egypt
| | | | - Eman Abdelkader
- Internal Medicine Department, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Niveen El-Wakeel
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Delta University for Science and Technology, New Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Waleed Eldars
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, New Mansoura University, New Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Ola El-Emam
- Clinical Pathology Department, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Elbeltagy
- Clinical Pathology Department, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Shaheen
- Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hossam El-Zamek
- Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Eman Mousa
- Faculty of Dentistry, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Deiab
- Internal Medicine Department, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Ayman Elgamal
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Alaa Habib
- Internal Medicine Department, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
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Liu X, Chen SX, Liu H, Lou JL. Host immunity and HBV S gene mutation in HBsAg-negative HBV-infected patients. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1211980. [PMID: 37646026 PMCID: PMC10461097 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1211980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Clinically, some patients whose HBsAg becomes negative owing to antiviral therapy or spontaneously still show a low level of HBV DNA persistence in serum. T-lymphocyte subsets, cytokine levels and HBV S gene sequences were analyzed in this study. Methods A total of 52 HBsAg-negative and HBV DNA-positive patients(HBsAg-/HBV DNA+ patients), 52 persistently HBsAg-positive patients(HBsAg+/HBV DNA+ patients) and 16 healthy people were evaluated. T-lymphocyte subsets of these patients were detected by flow cytometry, serum cytokines and chemokines were detected by the Luminex technique, and the HBV S region was evaluated by Sanger sequencing. T%, T-lymphocyte, CD8+ and CD4+T lymphocyte were lower in the HBsAg-negative group than in the HC group. Compared with the HBsAg-positive group, the HBsAg-negative group had lower levels in T lymphocyte %, CD8+T lymphocyte %, CD8+T lymphocyte and CD4/CD8. These difference were statistically significant (P<0.05). Serum IFN-γ, IFN-α and FLT-3L levels were significantly higher in the HBsAg-negative group than in the HBsAg-positive group (P<0.05). However, levels of many cytokines related to inflammation (i.e., IL-6, IL-8, IL10, IL-12, IL-17A) were lower in the HBsAg-negative group. Fifty-two HBsAg-negative samples were sequenced, revealing high-frequency amino acid substitution sites in the HBV S protein, including immune escape mutations (i.e., Y100C, S114T, C124Y, P127L, G130R, T131N, M133T, C137S, G145A) and TMD region substitutions (i.e., E2K/R/D, G7D/R, G10D, A17R, F20L/S, L21V, L22V). Conclusions According to the results of T-lymphocyte subsets and serum cytokines, it can be deduced that the cellular immune function of HBsAg-negative patients is superior to that of HBsAg-positive patients, with attenuation of liver inflammation. HBsAg-negative patients may show a variety of mutations and amino acid replacement sites at high frequency in the HBV S region, and these mutations may lead to undetectable HBsAg, HBsAg antigenic changes or secretion inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jin-li Lou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Center, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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Wang Q, Qian H, Liu X, Jiang J, Hao Q. Plasma cytokine profile in occult HBV-infected blood donors. Future Virol 2023. [DOI: 10.2217/fvl-2022-0193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Aim: Cytokine profile in occult HBV infection (OBI) was systematically investigated to identify the immunopathogenesis of OBI. Materials & methods: A total of 46 OBI, ten asymptomatic hepatitis B surface antigen carriers, ten chronic hepatitis B and 12 healthy blood donors were recruited. A total of 21 plasma cytokines were detected. Results: Compared with healthy blood donors, elevated plasma Th1, Th2, Th17 and immune regulatory associated cytokines were observed in OBI. Almost no significant difference was found for these cytokines among OBI, asymptomatic hepatitis B surface antigen carriers and chronic hepatitis B. OBI displayed the predominance of type 2 and regulatory immunity. Conclusion: OBI displayed the general cytokine profile of chronic HBV infection, which might contribute to virus persistence and the presence of the liver microinflammatory environment. The clinical implications of OBI deserve more attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghui Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Wuxi Blood Center, Wuxi, 214000, China
| | - Huizhong Qian
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Wuxi Blood Center, Wuxi, 214000, China
| | - Xiao Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Wuxi Blood Center, Wuxi, 214000, China
| | - Jian Jiang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Wuxi Blood Center, Wuxi, 214000, China
| | - Qingqin Hao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Wuxi Blood Center, Wuxi, 214000, China
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Gholizadeh O, Akbarzadeh S, Moein M, Yasamineh S, Hosseini P, Afkhami H, Amini P, Dadashpour M, Tahavvori A, Eslami M, Hossein Taherian M, Poortahmasebi V. The role of non-coding RNAs in the diagnosis of different stages (HCC, CHB, OBI) of hepatitis B infection. Microb Pathog 2023; 176:105995. [PMID: 36681203 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.105995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Despite the availability of an effective hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine and universal immunization schedules, HBV has remained a health problem in various stages such as occult hepatitis B infection (OBI), chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is considered one of the possible phases during chronic HBV infection. OBI is defined as the persistence of HBV genomes in hepatocytes of patients with a negative HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) test and detectable or undetectable HBV DNA in the blood. OBI is occasionally associated with infection caused by mutant viruses that produce a modified HBsAg that is undetected by diagnostic procedures or with replication-defective variations. Many aspects of HBV (OBI more than any other stage) including prevalence, pathobiology, and clinical implications has remained controversial. According to a growing body of research, non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) have been linked to the development and progression of a number of illnesses, including viral infectious disorders. Despite a shortage of knowledge regarding the expression and biological activities of lncRNAs and miRNAs in HBV infection, Hepatitis B remains a major global public health concern. This review summarizes the role of lncRNAs in the diagnosis and treatment of different stages of hepatitis B infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omid Gholizadeh
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Virology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sama Akbarzadeh
- Research Center for Clinical Virology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masood Moein
- Research Center for Clinical Virology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saman Yasamineh
- Department of Virology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parastoo Hosseini
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamed Afkhami
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahed University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Paria Amini
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mehdi Dadashpour
- Cancer Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
| | - Amir Tahavvori
- Internal Department, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
| | - Majid Eslami
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | | | - Vahdat Poortahmasebi
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
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Association of Serum 25(OH)D Deficiency with High Viral Load in HBV Infected Patients. JOURNAL OF PURE AND APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.22207/jpam.16.3.02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a significant public health concern, particularly in low-income countries. The host immune response plays an essential role in hepatitis B virus outcome, mainly orchestrated by cytokines and immune modulators molecules such as vitamin D. This study aimed to determine the levels of cytokines (IL-10), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interferon-lambada (IFN-lambada), granzyme B, and vitamin D in Khartoum, Sudan, and to assess the association between them and variable HBV viral load as well as liver enzyme levels. A total of 174 participants were enrolled in the trial, with 100 HBV-infected patients (who were HIV and HCV negative) and 74 healthy volunteers. Patients’ HBV viral load, vitamin D levels, liver enzymes, and circulatory cytokines were measured. This study revealed a remarkable decrease in vitamin D levels in HBV infected patients with an elevation in levels of liver biomarkers. The level of IL-10 was significantly higher in patients than in apparently healthy controls (p-value <0.001). There was a positive correlation between IFN-ϒ, Granzyme B, and viral load. According to the findings of this study, there is a marked hypovitaminosis D among hepatitis B infected patients with a significant increase in IL-10, which may implicate the persistence of HBV infection. Moreover, HBV DNA levels were significantly associated with IFN- g and granzyme B levels.
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Azatyan V, Yessayan L, Sargsyan A, Khachatryan A, Ghevondyan T, Shmavonyan M, Melik-Andreasyan G, Porksheyan K, Manrikyan M. Morphological Changes in the Oral Mucous Membrane in Viral Hepatitis C Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19159003. [PMID: 35897373 PMCID: PMC9330065 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Background: The objective was to reveal the most typical changes in oral mucosa in HCV patients and compare them with those in HCV negative patients. Methods: The study involved 96 HCV patients and 100 patients without HCV who applied to a dental clinic. The content of cytokines IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 and ɤ-INF in the oral fluid was determined by ELISA. Buccal mucosa and gums biopsies passed histological examination. An immunohistochemical study of mucous membrane biopsies was performed using monoclonal mouse antibodies to CD3+ and CD20+. Results: The HCV patients group included 96 (63.5% males), and the non-HCV group included 100 subjects (62.0% males) with lesions of the oral mucous membrane. The lesions of lips and oral mucosa were more frequent in HCV than in the non-HCV group—e.g., erosion (13.5% vs. 1%), cracks in the mouth corners (42.7% vs. 0%), changes in the oral mucosa surface (89.6% vs. 3.0%), hemorrhages (78.1% vs. 0%), etc. The pro-inflammatory IL-2 level was higher and anti-inflammatory IL-4 level was lower in HCV patients compared with those in the non-HCV group. Conclusions: Morphological changes developed in the microvasculature both worsen the tissue trophism and accelerate the healing with differentiation into coarse-fibrous connective tissue. Immunohistochemical findings indicated a decrease in local humoral immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahe Azatyan
- Department of Therapeutic Stomatology, Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU), 2 Koryun Str., Yerevan 0025, Armenia;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +374-91-326773
| | - Lazar Yessayan
- Department of Therapeutic Stomatology, Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU), 2 Koryun Str., Yerevan 0025, Armenia;
| | - Aelita Sargsyan
- Tuberculosis Research and Prevention Center, 6/2 Adonts Str., 100 Apt., Yerevan 0014, Armenia;
| | - Anna Khachatryan
- Department of Pathological Anatomy, Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU), 2 Koryun Str., Yerevan 0025, Armenia;
| | - Tigran Ghevondyan
- Laboratory of Histochemistry and Electron Microscopy, After Orbeli Institute of Physiology of National Academy of Sciences of Republic Armenia (NAoS RA), 22 Brothers Orbeli Str., Yerevan 0028, Armenia;
| | - Melanya Shmavonyan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU), 2 Koryun Str., Yerevan 0025, Armenia;
| | - Gayane Melik-Andreasyan
- National Center of Disease Control and Prevention, Ministry of Health (MoH), 12 Mkhitar Heratsi Str., Yerevan 0025, Armenia;
| | - Kristina Porksheyan
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU), 2 Koryun Str., Yerevan 0025, Armenia;
| | - Mikael Manrikyan
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU), 2 Koryun Str., Yerevan 0025, Armenia;
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Gherlan GS. Occult hepatitis B — the result of the host immune response interaction with different genomic expressions of the virus. World J Clin Cases 2022; 10:5518-5530. [PMID: 35979101 PMCID: PMC9258381 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i17.5518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
With over 40 years of history, occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) continues to remain an important and challenging public health problem. Defined as the presence of replication-competent hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA (i.e., episomal HBV covalently closed circular DNA) in the liver and/or HBV DNA in the blood of people who test negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in currently available assays, OBI is currently diagnosed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time PCR assays. However, all efforts should be made to exclude a false negative HBsAg in order to completely follow the definition of OBI. In recent years, significant advances have been made in understanding the HBV lifecycle and the molecular mechanisms that lead to the persistence of the virus in the occult form. These factors are mainly related to the host immune system and, to a smaller proportion, to the virus. Both innate and adaptive immune responses are important in HBV infection management, and epigenetic changes driven by host mechanisms (acetylation, methylation, and microRNA implication) are added to such actions. Although greater genetic variability in the S gene of HBV isolated from OBIs was found compared with overt infection, the mechanisms of OBI are not mainly viral mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Sebastian Gherlan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest 030303, Romania
- Department of Infectious Diseases, “Dr. Victor Babes” Hospital of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Bucharest 030303, Romania
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