CCR1 and CCR5 expressions on peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatocelluar carcinoma

Abstract

Chemokine receptors ( CCR1 and CCR5 ), have been implicated in hepatic inflammation and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The present study aimed to investigate the expressions of CCR1, CCR5 on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of Egyptian patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) and HCC and their correlation to the severity of liver disease and the clinical features of HCC. Isolated PBMCs from 25 patients with HCC, 10 LC patients and 9 adult healthy controls were stained with monoclonal antibodies against CD4, CD8, CCR1 and CCR5, then detected by using a flow cytometry technique. Patients were diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) scan findings, biochemical liver function tests, serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Our data revealed that CCR1 and CCR5 expressions in liver cirrhosis patients were significantly higher than healthy controls (P=0.008 and 0.053 respectively), as well as in HCC patients but the increment were not significant (P= 0.120 and 0.216 respectively). The expressions of CCR1 and CCR5 were increased in liver cirrhosis than in HCC patients, but the increment were not significant (P=0.120 and 0.216 respectively). However, both CCR1 and CCR5 were decreased with increasing number of liver tumor in a negative linear regression correlation. Patients with liver cirrhosis or HCC showed lower CD4 and CD8 T cells count compared with healthy controls. In Conclusion The up-regulations of CCR1 and CCR5 in patients with hepatic cirrhosis confirmed the activation of the CC chemokine system in human fibrogenesis and may play a role in recruitment of lymphocytes to the injured liver.

KeyWords: Hepatocellular carcinoma, liver cirrhosis, chemokine receptors, flow cytometry