CCR5 on the NK Cells and its Ligand (RANTES) Expressions are Disrupted in South-Eastern Iranian Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B Infection

BACKGROUND: CCR5 is a receptor for CCL3 (MIP-1 α), CCL4 (MIP-1 α) and CCL5 (regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES)) and play important roles in recruitment of NK cells to the HBV infected liver. OBJECTIVES: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the expression levels of CCR5 on the NK cells and also serum levels of RANTES in chronic HBV infected (CHI) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this descriptive study 63 CHI patients and 96 healthy controls were evaluated regarding CCR5 expression on the NK cells and serum levels of RANTES using flow cytometry and ELISA techniques, respectively. Real-Time PCR technique also was used for HBV-DNA quantification. RESULTS: The results revealed that CCR5 expressing NK cells and serum levels of RANTES were decreased significantly in the CHI patients in compare to healthy control. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results it can be concluded that NK cells of Iranian CHI patients are unable to express adequate levels of CCR5 and expression levels of RANTES by immune cells also are defected in CHI patients, hence, the migration of NK cells to the infected hepatocytes and HBV eradication from the cells is interrupted.