Maintenance of HCV-specific T-cell responses in antibody-deficient patients a decade after early therapy

Abstract

Early therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) is associated with a high rate of viral clearance, but the long-term effects on immune responses remain controversial. The role of antibodies, both acutely and in the long term, is not clearly defined. We investigated these issues in a unique cohort of 7 individuals with primary antibody failure, who had received early interferon therapy after infection through contaminated immunoglobulin therapy a decade previously