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Volume 7, Issue 6 (Suppl) J Bacteriol Parasito
ISSN: 2155-9597 JBP, an open access journal Microbiology 2016
November 28-29, 2016
November 28-29, 2016 Valencia, Spain
7th World Congress on
Microbiology
Sahar Sultan Essa et al., J Bacteriol Parasitol 2016, 7:6 (Suppl)
Immunomodulatory effects of pegylated interferon-α and Ribavirin onTh1 andTh2 cytokine responses
to chronically infected hepatitis C patients
Sahar Sultan Essa1, Raghupathy R1, Siddique I1, Al-Ali J1, Saad M2 and Al-Nakib W 1
1Kuwait University, Kuwait
2Amiri Hospital, Kuwait
Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a life threatening human pathogen. Chronicity of the disease leads to cirrhosis, hepatocellular
carcinoma and end-stage liver disease. Clearance of the virus is characterized by a vigorous, persistent T-cell response. Standard
treatment involves a combination of pegylated interferon-α (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin, Mechanisms for the observed synergistic effects
of the two drugs are still not well understood, but in addition to direct antiviral mechanisms, immunomodulatory effects of both
drugs seem to be important with a possible shift fromTh2 to Th1 cytokine profiles in successfully treated patients.
Aim & Method: This study will determine Th1 and Th2 cytokine responses to infection with the major HCV genotypes, before,
during and after treatment with PEG-IFN and ribavirin. The proliferative response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to mitogen
will be assessed by measuring uptake of radioactive thymidine and the production of Th1 type and Th2 type cytokines by ELISA.
Results: We have inducted a total of 36 patients (27 responders and 9 non-responders). There were a significant increase in the
levels of Th1 type cytokines IFNγ, IL-17A and IL-17F between responders and non-responders. IL-4 and IL-6 anti-inflammatory
Th2 cytokines is produced at significantly higher levels in non-responders. The ratios involving IFNγ and IL-4 showed interesting
differences. At baseline measurement, IFN/IL-4 and IFN/IL-10 ratios were 18 and 10 fold higher in responders. Likewise, at the end
of the treatment, IFN/IL-4, IFN/IL-6 and IFN/IL-10 ratios were 90, 80 and 50 fold respectively higher in responders as compared to
non-responders.
Conclusion: Our data suggests that, Th1 biased reactivity and poorTh2 response state appears to be associated with drug effectiveness.
In other words, we suggest that the host cytokine profile can either dampen or aid the immune viral response to recent and future
drug therapy
Biography
Sahar Sultan Essa is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine in Kuwait University, Kuwait.