title: Correlation of soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels with severity of chronic hepatitis C virus liver injury and development of hepatocellular cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with acute and chronic hepatitis B virus infection have elevated serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor. This study examined patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection to determine whether serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels were elevated and whether the degree of these elevations in serum levels correlated with histologic severity of hepatitis-related liver injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Percutaneous liver biopsies were performed on 123 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor in these 123 patients were measured by means of specific enzyme-linked immunoassay and were compared with levels in 174 subjects in a hepatitis-free control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels were significantly higher in the patients with hepatitis C than in subjects in a control group (p < 0.0001). A progressive and significant increase occurred in soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels with increasing severity of liver injury (p < 0.001). The highest levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor occurred in patients who had hepatocellular cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels correlate with the histologic severity of liver damage in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection and may be useful as a marker in patients at high risk of getting hepatocellular cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Izzo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Curley
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maio
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leonardi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Imparato
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giglio
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cremona
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Castello
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000209:etiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis*; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins