Th17 cells are increased with severity of liver inflammation in patients with chronic hepatitis C

Background and Aim: As a newly identified subset of T helper cells, T-helper 17 cells (Th17) are major mediators of inflammation-associated disease. Some reports have revealed significantly increased Th17 cells in hepatitis B virus-infected patients, and a recent study has demonstrated that hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific Th17 cells can be induced in vitro and regulated by transforming growth factor-beta. This study attempted to characterize the role of Th17 cells in the disease progression of chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Methods: The current study enrolled 53 patients with CHC and 23 healthy controls, in which the circulating and liver-infiltrating Th17 cells were monitored. Results: We found that CHC patients had increased proportions of both circulating and liver-infiltrating Th17 cells compared to healthy individuals, and both measures of Th17 cells were correlated with severity of liver inflammation. We further demonstrated that the HCV-specific Th17 cells were correlated with liver damage but not HCV viral replication. Conclusions: Such a correlation between the severity of liver damage of CHC and Th17 cells illustrated in this study sheds some light on the understanding of the pathogenesis of CHC.