title: Cytokine levels in acute alcoholic hepatitis: a sequential study.
abstract: Chronic alcoholic liver disease is associated with several immunological alterations: depressed T-cell function, low serum gamma-interferon, and high serum tumour necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) and interleukin levels. Therefore, macrophage activity seems to be enhanced. Some cytokines, such as TNF-alpha, exert adverse effects on chronic alcoholic liver disease, so that protracted activation of macrophages with continuous TNF-alpha production may aggravate alcoholic hepatitis. Based on these facts we have sequentially determined serum levels of TNF-alpha, 1 beta interleukin (IL-1 beta), gamma-interferon and neopterin--a macrophage product--at admission, and at the end of the first, third and sixth weeks after admission, of 43 patients affected by alcoholic hepatitis, and of 20 age-matched sanitary workers as controls. Our patients showed higher levels of neopterin and lower levels of IL-1 beta and gamma-interferon than the controls; TNF-alpha levels in our patients were almost significantly higher than in controls. TNF-alpha levels at admission were higher in the patients who died (P = 0.025). TNF-alpha and neopterin levels showed no trend to normalization in patients who died, with higher levels of neopterin at first and third weeks and higher TNF-alpha and gamma-interferon levels at first week. Using logistic regression analysis, serum TNF-alpha levels at admission showed significant (P = 0.045), independent effects on mortality, as well as serum neopterin (P = 0.0026) at the first week. Thus, enhanced macrophage activity, measured by serum levels of TNF-alpha and neopterin seems to be related to a worse prognosis in alcoholic hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Rodríguez
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: González-Reimers
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Santolaria-Fernández
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Milena-Abril
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Moreno
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oramas-Rodríguez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martínez-Riera
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001708:Biopterins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006519:Hepatitis, Alcoholic / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019798:Neopterin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D001708:Biopterins; D019798:Neopterin; D007371:Interferon-gamma