Overexpression of Regulatory T Cells Type 1 (Tr1) Specific Markers in a Patient with HCV-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Laurissa Ouaguia (1) , Olivier Morales (1) , Dhafer Mrizak (1) , Khaldoun Ghazal (2) , Emmanuel Boleslawski (1, 3) , Claude Auriault (1) , Véronique Pancré (1) , Yvan de Launoit (1) , Filoména Conti (2, 4) , Nadira Delhem (1)

1 IBLI - Institut de biologie de Lille - IBL
2 UMRS893 - Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine
3 Hôpital Claude Huriez [Lille]
4 CHU Saint-Antoine [AP-HP]

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important causative agent of liver disease, but factors that determine the resolution or progression of infection are poorly understood. In this study, we suggested that existence of immunosuppressive mechanisms, supported by regulatory T cells and especially the regulatory T cell 1 subset (Tr1), may explain the impaired immune response during infection and thus the fibrosis aggravation to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Using quantitative real-time PCR, we investigated the intrahepatic presence of Tr1 cells in biopsies from a genotype 1b infected patient followed for an 18-year period from cirrhosis to HCC. We described a significant increase of gene expression in particular for the cytokines IL-10, TGF-, and their receptors that were perfectly correlated with an increased expression of the Tr1 specific markers (combined expression of CD4, CD18, and CD49b). This was strongly marked since the patient evolved in the pathology and could explain the failure of the treatment. In conclusion, evidence of regulatory T cell installation in the liver of chronically infected patient with cirrhosis and HCC suggests for the first time a key role for these cells in the course of HCV infection.

Domaines: Cancer

Laurissa Ouaguia, Olivier Morales, Dhafer Mrizak, Khaldoun Ghazal, Emmanuel Boleslawski, et al.. Overexpression of Regulatory T Cells Type 1 (Tr1) Specific Markers in a Patient with HCV-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma. International Scholarly Research Notices, 2013, 2013, pp.928485. ⟨10.1155/2013/928485⟩. ⟨hal-03059986⟩