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Upregulation of Th1 associated intrahepatic cytokines in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection should lead to a significant non-specific cellular immune response, a prerequisite for viral clearance. However, to date, the role of this non-specific response in HCV has been understudied.

To analyse the intrahepatic macrophage activity in chronic HCV infection by immunostaining and by quantitation of cytokine mRNA.

HCV positive liver tissues (chronic hepatitis, n=10; cirrhosis, n=5) were immunostained for CD68, MAC387, and semiquantitated by polymerase chain reaction for intrahepatic cytokine mRNAs (interferon γ (IFNγ), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-18, tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα), and macrophage inflammatory protein 1β (MIP1β)). HCV negative normal liver tissues (for cytokines, n=6; for immunostaining, n=5) were included as controls.

MAC387⁺ cells …