Association of circulating CD8+ lymphocytes to a spontaneous and interferon-α induced clearance of HCV

The amount of copies of HCV-RNA and count of CD8(+) lymphocytes was retrospectively evaluated in 326 patients: sampling was performed in basal condition, during treatment with alpha-IFN (n=232) and post-treatment follow-up, and at the same time points in untreated patients (n=94). In the treated group the difference between CD8(+) lymphocytes in the patients successfully treated (n=65) and those with an unfavourable outcome (n=176) is statistically significant (898 +/- 172 vs., 440 +/- 176 CD8(+) lymphocytes per mm(3) P < 0.005 ANOVA). Also, in the untreated patients the average count of CD8(+) cells is statistically higher in patients with a favourable outcome (P < 0.01 ANOVA). The present data show that the count of CD8(+) lymphocyte is of clinical value in order to predict the outcome of HCV infection and may be used together with the viral load and genotype, already established predictors. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.