Differential cytokine pattern of HDV-specific cellular immune responses: Results from the hep-net/international HIDIT-1 study

Introduction: Delta hepatitis is the most severe form of chronic viral hepatitis with limited treatment options available. We recently reported data of a randomised study investigating pegylated-interferon-alpha-2a with or without adefovir vs. adefovir alone for the treatment of chronic delta hepatitis. Cellular immune responses in hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection are largely undefined and HDV-specific T cell responses during antiviral therapy of hepatitis D have not been studied at all. Methods: PBMC of 17 patients treated in the HIDIT-1 trial were available for this analysis (5 IFN-responder, 7 IFN-nonrespond…