Influence of amantadine on CD81 expression on lymphocytes in chronic hepatitis C.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Interferon alpha (IFN) down regulates CD81 expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Aim of our study was to investigate whether amantadine alters IFN associated down regulation of CD81 expression on PBMC in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

METHODS:

Nineteen patients with chronic HCV infection received peginterferon alpha-2a/ribavirin (SOC) for 48 weeks. Patients were randomised to 12 weeks amantadine therapy (n=12) or no additional treatment (n=7). FACS analysis of CD81 expression on CD4(+), CD8(+), CD19(+), and CD56(+) cells was performed at baseline, week (TW) 4, TW12, and TW24 of antiviral therapy.

RESULTS:

A significant decline of CD81 expression was observed on CD4(+), CD8(+), and CD56(+) cells (p=0.011, p<0.001, p=0.015, respectively) but not on CD19(+) cells (p>0.2). CD81 expression on CD4(+), CD8(+), CD19(+), and CD56(+) cells was not different between patients treated with SOC plus amantadine and patients treated with SOC alone.

CONCLUSION:

The current study confirms that CD81 expression is down regulated by SOC on CD4(+), CD8(+) and CD56(+) cells. Amantadine treatment was not associated with CD81 expression. Interaction between amantadine and CD81 is unlikely to be involved in potential antiviral activity of amantadine in chronic HCV infection.

• Authors: Martin-Walter Welker, Michael von Wagner, Dana Ochs, Vincent Zimmer, Wolf Peter Hofmann, Albrecht Piiper, Rolf W Hartmann, Eva Herrmann, Stefan Zeuzem, Bernd Kronenberger
• Journal: Digestive and liver disease : official journal of the Italian Society of Gastroenterology and the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver (Dig Liver Dis) Vol. 42 Issue 10 Pg. 735-40 (Oct 2010) ISSN: 1878-3562 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 20457015 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright 2010 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antigens, CD
• Antiviral Agents
• CD81 protein, human
• Hepatitis C Antibodies
• RNA, Viral
• Tetraspanin 28
• Amantadine

Topics

• Adult
• Amantadine (therapeutic use)
• Antigens, CD (biosynthesis, drug effects)
• Antiviral Agents (therapeutic use)
• Disease Progression
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Genotype
• Hepacivirus (genetics, immunology)
• Hepatitis C Antibodies (analysis)
• Hepatitis C, Chronic (drug therapy, immunology, metabolism)
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Lymphocytes (immunology, metabolism)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• RNA, Viral (analysis)
• Tetraspanin 28