Aim
To determine whether modulation of T-cell responses by naturally occurring viral variants caused an increase in numbers of Tregs in HCV-infected patients. Patients materials &
Conclusion
A stable viral variant from a chronic HCV subject was able to induce Tregs in multiple individuals that responded to the wild-type HCV-specific CD4+ T-cell epitope.
Methods
Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, having proliferative responses to a wild-type HCV-specific CD4+ T-cell epitope, were used to quantify, via proliferative assays, flow cytometry and class II tetramers, the effects of naturally occurring viral variants arising in the immunodominant epitope.
Results
In combination, the wild-type and variant peptides led to enhanced suppression of an anti-HCV T-cell response. The variant had a lower avidity for the wild-type-specific CD4+ T cell. Variant-stimulated CD4+ T cells had increased Foxp3, compared with wild-type-stimulated cells.