Elevation of interleukin 6 levels in patients with chronic hepatitis due to hepatitis C virus.
Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine produced by a wide variety of lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues. We studied the relationship between IL-6 and the liver in an attempt to elucidate this cytokine's role in hepatitis C-induced liver inflammation. We investigated the behavior of serum IL-6 in 25 patients with chronic hepatitis C (divided into three groups depending on severity) and in 27 healthy controls. Our results showed a significant elevation (P < 0.0001) in serum IL-6 levels in the patients with chronic hepatitis C, correlated with the histological activity index (HAI) and their HCV-RNA serum levels. This rise may represent the expression of the hepatitis C virus-induced inflammatory state.
Malaguarnera
M
M
Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Catania, Italy.
Di Fazio
I
I
Romeo
M A
MA
Restuccia
S
S
Laurino
A
A
Trovato
B A
BA
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood
D015850:Interleukin-6; D012367:RNA, Viral