Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol

Soluble (s) CD14 and plasmatic lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in patients with chronic hepatitis C before and after treatment with interferon (IFN)-alpha.

Year 1998
Jirillo E. Amati L. Caradonna L. Greco B. Cozzolongo R. Cuppone R. Piazzolla G. Caccavo D. Antonaci S. Manghisi OG.
I.R.C.C.S. S. de Bellis, Laboratory of Immunopathology, Castellana Grotte (Bari).
CDI4 is a monocyte/polymorphonuclear cell receptor for lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-LPS Binding Protein (LBP), which mediates most of the toxic effects exerted by such a bacterial component in the host. Here, we provide evidence that sCD14 and interferon (IFN)-gamma serum levels are significantly higher in chronic hepatitis C (CH-C) patients than those detected in normal donors. On the other hand, CD4+/CD8+ antibacterial activity is depressed, thus facilitating entry of bacteria into the host. Of note, all these immune parameters are not modified by in vivo IFN-alpha administration over a period of one year. Finally, after 12 months of IFN-alpha treatment number of CH-C patients with detectable levels of plasmatic LPS increased, thus indicating a continuous release of LPS into the host and also suggesting a putative pathogenetic role for sCD14 LPS-LBP complex in subjects affected by CH-C virus infection.