Profiles of cytokines produced by CD4-positive T lymphocytes stimulated by anti-CD3 antibody in patients with chronic hepatitis C

Helper T cells (Th) are classified as type 1 (Th1) and type 2 (Th2) according to the cytokines they produce; interferon-γ is produced by Th1, and interleukin-4 by Th2. We counted the circulating CD4-positive Th cells that produce interferon-γ or interleukin-4 with an enzyme-linked immunospot assay. CD4-positive T cells isolated from patients with chronic hepatitis B (n = 10), chronic hepatitis C (n = 16), and healthy subjects (n = 10) were stimulated with anti-CD3 antibody in vitro. The number of interferon-γ-producing Th cells was significantly lower in patients with chronic hepatitis C than in healthy subjects (P = 0.0024), whereas in patients with chronic hepatitis B, the number was similar to that in healthy subjects (P = 0.8530). The number of interleukin-4-producing Th cells was significantly higher in patients with chronic hepatitis C (P = 0.0010) and chronic hepatitis B (P = 0.0089) than in healthy subjects. In chronic hepatitis C, the number of interferon-γ-producing Th cells was increased after incubation of the cells with interferon-α (P = 0.008) or with recombinant interferon-γla (P = 0.024), but not with interferon-β (P = 0.051). The number of interleukin-4-producing Th cells was decreased after incubation with interferon-α (P = 0.0004), with interferon-β (P = 0.003), and with recombinant interferon-γla (P = 0.0004). Changes in the numbers of interferon-γ- or interleukin-4-producing Th cells in vitro were more evident in sustained responders to interferon therapy than in non-responders. These results suggest that Th2 cells are the predominant cell type in chronic hepatitis C, and that their activity may be suppressed by the administration of interferon.