[Alterations within white blood cell subsets in children with chronic viral hepatitis C before treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin].

OBJECTIVE

Detection of differences in white blood cell subsets I children with chronic viral hepatitis type C before antiviral treatment.

METHODS

A cohort of children (n = 52) with proven HCV infection were subjected to flow cytometric analysis of their white blood cells and compared to non-infected control group.

MAIN OBSERVATIONS: It has been found that the hepatitis group has higher number of cells with cytotoxic potential, decreased CD4/CD8 ratio than the other one.

RESULTS

Significant rise of CD8+, CD28- cells, NK cells and NKT lymphocytes was demonstrated in hepatitis group. Several correlations were noticed between various cell subsets studied in virus C infected children.

CONCLUSIONS

This data show that HCV infection affects child immunity at systemic level. Cellular alterations are detectable by means of flow cytometry. Evaluation of its parameters might have predictive value in antiviral treatment.