IMPACT OF TREATMENT WITH DIRECT ANTIVIRAL AGENTS ON HCV SPECIFIC IMMUNE RESPONSE IN HIV/HCV COINFECTED INDIVIDUALS

URIOSTE, ALEJANDRA; POLO, MARÍA LAURA; OSEGUEDA, ARIEL; GABRIELA TURK; MARIA FLORENCIA QUIROGA; LAUFER, NATALIA

Congreso; REUNIÓN DE SOCIEDADES DE BIOCIENCIAS 2021, LXIX REUNIÓN ANUAL DE LA SOCIEDAD ARGENTINA DE INMUNOLOGÍA.; 2021

Purpose: The aim of this research was to evaluate the changes inthe HCV specific immune response and exhaustion phenotype secondaryto HCV clearance by direct antiviral agents (DAA) in HIV/HCV coinfected individuals.Methods: prospective longitudinal study. 22 HIV/HCV coinfected individualswere enrolled (12 with METAVIR F4 and 10 with F0/F1).All individuals were on successful antiretroviral therapy and beganHCV treatment with different DAA combinations. Peripheral bloodsamples (PBMC) were taken before DAA (BSL) and 3-12 monthspost-treatment (3-12MPT). PBMC were incubated for 4 days withpeptides spanning structural and non-structural (NS4a, NS5a andNS4b) HCV proteins. IFN-γ was measured in cell culture supernatantsby ELISA after stimulation. PD-1 expression on T-cells wasevaluated by flow cytometry. Nonparametric tests were used for statisticalanalysis.Results: Significant increments in the specific response to NS4a/NS4b (1,5±3,6 vs 17,9±17,2pg/ml, p=0,0039) and NS5a/NS4b antigens(1,0±2,4 vs 8,6±9,4pg/ml, p=0,0234) were observed only inF4 HIV/HCV between BSL and 3-12MPT. In both groups, absoluteCD4+ T cell counts at BSL positively correlated with the magnitudeof the specific response to structural proteins at BSL (p