Association of Interleukin-15–Induced Peripheral Immune Activation with Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation in Persons Coinfected with Hepatitis C Virus and HIV

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 200; no. 4; pp. 619 - 623
• Main Authors: Allison, Robert D., Katsounas, Antonios, Koziol, Deloris E., Kleiner, David E., Alter, Harvey J., Lempicki, Richard A., Wood, Brad, Yang, Jun, Fullmer, Brandie, Cortez, Karoll J., Polis, Michael A., Kottilil, Shyam
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford The University of Chicago Press 15.08.2009; University of Chicago Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Actins; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; B lymphocytes; Biological and medical sciences; Biopsies; Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells; Fibrosis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation - immunology; Hepacivirus; Hepatic stellate cells; Hepatic Stellate Cells - physiology; Hepatitis C - complications; Hepatitis C - immunology; Hepatitis C virus; HIV; HIV Infections - complications; HIV Infections - immunology; HIV/AIDS; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infectious diseases; Interleukin-15 - metabolism; Liver; Lymphocytes - physiology; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; T lymphocytes; Virology; Virus; Human; Infection; Microbiology; Cytokine; Retroviridae; Human immunodeficiency virus; Flaviviridae; Interleukin 15; Hepatitis C virus; Hepacivirus; Lentivirus
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/600107

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) mediate hepatitis C virus (HCV)–related liver fibrosis, and increased HSC activation in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/HCV coinfection may be associated with accelerated fibrosis. We examined the level of HSC activation in HIV/HCV-coinfected and HCV-monoinfected subjects and its relationship to the level of activation and gene expression of peripheral immune cells in coinfected subjects. HSC activation levels positively correlated with peripheral CD4+ and CD8+ T cell immune activation and were associated with enhanced interleukin-15 (IL-15) gene expression, suggesting a pathogenic role for IL-15–driven immunomediated hepatic fibrosis. Future strategies that reduce immune activation and HSC activation may delay progression of liver fibrosis