Cytokine profile of viral and autoimmune chronic active hepatitis.
BACKGROUND
Patients with hepatitis have multiple immunologic abnormalities, which may be related to cytokine production.


METHODS
We examined the in vitro production of interleukins (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in purified peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with hepatitis B virus positive (HBV), acute viral hepatitis (A-HBV), HBV + chronic active hepatitis (HBV-CAH), and autoimmune-type chronic active hepatitis (AI-ACH).


RESULTS
IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha production were characteristically higher in patients with A-HBV than in healthy control subjects (p < 0.001). However, patients with AI-CAH produced highly elevated levels of IL-4 and IL-6 compared with patients with A-HBV and HBV-CAH and healthy control subjects. The cytokine profile (PBMC-induced IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha production) is different in A-HBV, HBV-CAH, and AI-CAH disease. The increased cytokine secretion (IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha in A-HBV and IL-4 and IL-6 in AI-CAH) could reflect altered relative frequencies of different cell phenotypes in these diseases.


CONCLUSIONS
Specific cytokine production may be important in the pathophysiology associated with diverse inflammatory states in patients with hepatitis.
al-Wabel
A
A
Department of Internal Medicine (Gastroenterology Unit), King Saud University, College of Medicine, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
al-Janadi
M
M
Raziuddin
S
S
D000328:Adult; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D000001:Calcimycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D003208:Concanavalin A; D015847:Interleukin-4; D000001:Calcimycin; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate