Gender as a factor affecting NK cell activity in patients successfully treated for chronic hepatitis C with direct-acting antivirals.

Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) affects the activity of natural killer (NK) cells, but successful interferon- free treatment partially restores it. The goal of this study was to assess whether gender influences NK functionality. We examined 21 post-menopausal women and 24 men with CHC who were treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAA) and 33 healthy volunteers.

Treg cells in the course of chronic hepatitis C virus infection partially normalize in longitudinal observation after successful DAA treatment regardless of hepatic fibrosis stage.

Aim Of The Study: Elevated circulating CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) play an unspecified role in liver fibrosis development. This study aimed to determine whether Treg cells diminish after successful treatment with directacting antivirals (DAA) in patients at different liver fibrosis stages.

Material And Methods: We examined 44 patients with CHC (including 29 with liver cirrhosis) seven days before DAA treatment (T0), six months later (T1) and then 22 of them were examined one year (T2) after the first dose.