Is progressive rise in red cell distribution width associated with disease progression in ambulatory patients with chronic heart failure?
In our ambulatory cohort of patients with chronic heart failure, baseline and serial increases in RDW were associated with poor long-term outcomes independently from standard cardiac, hematologic, and renal indices.
The specific defect in CD56(dim) NK cell activation and the reduced capacity to produce anti-viral and Th1-skewing cytokines may play a role in HBV persistence. Restoration of this NK cell cytokine-producing capacity, as achieved by viral load reduction, could therefore contribute to definite clearance of the virus.