Rituximab treatment in hepatitis C infection: an in vitro model to study the impact of B cell depletion on virus infectivity.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients with vasculitis are often treated with the B-cell-depleting anti-CD20 antibody rituximab. Treatment reduces the cryoglobulins that cause vasculitis, yet it also leads to a transient increase in liver enzymes and HCV genomic RNA in the periphery. The mechanis...

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Main Authors: Zania Stamataki, Samantha Tilakaratne, David H Adams, Jane A McKeating
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2011-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0025789&type=printable
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author Zania Stamataki
Samantha Tilakaratne
David H Adams
Jane A McKeating
author_facet Zania Stamataki
Samantha Tilakaratne
David H Adams
Jane A McKeating
author_sort Zania Stamataki
collection DOAJ
description Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients with vasculitis are often treated with the B-cell-depleting anti-CD20 antibody rituximab. Treatment reduces the cryoglobulins that cause vasculitis, yet it also leads to a transient increase in liver enzymes and HCV genomic RNA in the periphery. The mechanism underlying the increased viral load is unclear and both direct and indirect roles have been proposed for B cells in HCV infection. We previously reported that HCV can associate with B cells and can trans-infect hepatocytes. We established an in vitro assay to study the effect(s) of rituximab on B cell-associated HCV infectivity. Rituximab-mediated lysis of B cells in vitro increases the level of infectious HCV released from B cells. Our results, using a model where virus does not replicate in B cells, recapitulate observations seen in patients and may explain in part the rapid increase in blood HCV RNA observed after rituximab treatment.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 1932-6203
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publishDate 2011-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
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series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj-art-8632b540e40f4fbdb0f18b5b1eeb2e4b2025-08-20T03:25:11ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032011-01-0169e2578910.1371/journal.pone.0025789Rituximab treatment in hepatitis C infection: an in vitro model to study the impact of B cell depletion on virus infectivity.Zania StamatakiSamantha TilakaratneDavid H AdamsJane A McKeatingHepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients with vasculitis are often treated with the B-cell-depleting anti-CD20 antibody rituximab. Treatment reduces the cryoglobulins that cause vasculitis, yet it also leads to a transient increase in liver enzymes and HCV genomic RNA in the periphery. The mechanism underlying the increased viral load is unclear and both direct and indirect roles have been proposed for B cells in HCV infection. We previously reported that HCV can associate with B cells and can trans-infect hepatocytes. We established an in vitro assay to study the effect(s) of rituximab on B cell-associated HCV infectivity. Rituximab-mediated lysis of B cells in vitro increases the level of infectious HCV released from B cells. Our results, using a model where virus does not replicate in B cells, recapitulate observations seen in patients and may explain in part the rapid increase in blood HCV RNA observed after rituximab treatment.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0025789&type=printable
spellingShingle Zania Stamataki
Samantha Tilakaratne
David H Adams
Jane A McKeating
Rituximab treatment in hepatitis C infection: an in vitro model to study the impact of B cell depletion on virus infectivity.
PLoS ONE
title Rituximab treatment in hepatitis C infection: an in vitro model to study the impact of B cell depletion on virus infectivity.
title_full Rituximab treatment in hepatitis C infection: an in vitro model to study the impact of B cell depletion on virus infectivity.
title_fullStr Rituximab treatment in hepatitis C infection: an in vitro model to study the impact of B cell depletion on virus infectivity.
title_full_unstemmed Rituximab treatment in hepatitis C infection: an in vitro model to study the impact of B cell depletion on virus infectivity.
title_short Rituximab treatment in hepatitis C infection: an in vitro model to study the impact of B cell depletion on virus infectivity.
title_sort rituximab treatment in hepatitis c infection an in vitro model to study the impact of b cell depletion on virus infectivity
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0025789&type=printable
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