Table 2.
Mean percentage of total and activated NK cells without and with PEG-IFN stimulation in four patient groups
| CD3− CD56+ cells | Bright (CD3− CD56+bright) NK cells | Dim (CD3− CD56+dim) NK cells | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Without PEG-IFN | With PEG-IFN | P-value | Without PEG-IFN | With PEG-IFN | P-value | Without PEG-IFN | With PEG-IFN | P-value | |
| Control | |||||||||
| % Total | 5·3 ± 0·5* | 4·7 ± 0·5* | 0·002 | 8·4 ± 1·1‡ | 12·0 ± 1·8‡ | 0·002 | 91·6 ± 1·1‡ | 88·0 ± 1·8‡ | 0·002 |
| % CD69+ | 60·6 ± 3·8† | 91·2 ± 1·3† | 0·001 | 42·1 ± 5·1§ | 83·5 ± 3·5§ | 0·001 | 62·7 ± 4·6§ | 92·6 ± 1·2§ | 0·001 |
| HCV-infected | |||||||||
| % Total | 4·5 ± 0·5* | 4·6 ± 0·5* | 0·562 | 20·1 ± 3·5‡ | 25·2 ± 3·8‡ | 0·001 | 79·9 ± 3·5‡ | 74·8 ± 3·8‡ | 0·001 |
| % CD69+ | 45·9 ± 3·3† | 82·6 ± 2·5† | <0·001 | 29·7 ± 3·1§ | 77·7 ± 3·6§ | <0·001 | 49·6 ± 3·7§ | 83·4 ± 2·6§ | <0·001 |
| NR | |||||||||
| % Total | 4·1 ± 0·5* | 3·9 ± 0·5* | 0·414 | 24·0 ± 6·3‡ | 29·4 ± 6·2‡ | 0·043 | 76·0 ± 6·3‡ | 70·6 ± 6·2‡ | 0·043 |
| % CD69+ | 47·5 ± 3·0† | 78·3 ± 3·7† | 0·043 | 33·4 ± 7·1§ | 78·8 ± 5·1§ | 0·043 | 51·8 ± 2·5§ | 78·8 ± 4·8§ | 0·043 |
| SVR | |||||||||
| % Total | 3·0 ± 0·4* | 3·6 ± 0·4* | 0·126 | 18·4 ± 6·6‡ | 24·6 ± 7·2‡ | 0·028 | 81·7 ± 6·6‡ | 75·4 ± 7·2‡ | 0·028 |
| % CD69+ | 35·4 ± 4·1† | 78·7 ± 4·2† | 0·028 | 27·3 ± 2·3§ | 68·1 ± 6·2§ | 0·028 | 37·8 ± 4·9§ | 80·7 ± 4·0§ | 0·028 |
*
Values refer to total CD3−CD56+ NK cells as a percentage of all lymphocytes.
†
Values refer to activated (CD3−CD56+CD69+) NK cells as a percentage of total CD3−CD56+ NK cells.
‡
Values refer to CD3−CD56+brght/dim cells as a percentage of total CD3−CD56+ NK cells.
§
Values refer to activated dim/bright (CD3−CD56+bright/dimCD69+) NK cells as percentage of CD3−CD56+ bright or dim cells. All values represent mean± standard error and were compared using the nonparametric signed-rank test. PEG-IFN, pegylated interferon; HCV, hepatitis C virus; NR, nonresponder; SVR, sustained virological responder