Serum IL-8 levels and localization of IL-8 in liver from patients with chronic viral hepatitis.
OBJECTIVE
Interleukin 8 is known as a chemotactic factor for neutrophils and T cells. Such inflammatory cells are observed in the liver tissue in chronic viral hepatitis. However, it is not known whether interleukin 8 relates to hepatic injury in patients with chronic viral hepatitis. Therefore, we determined serum interleukin 8 levels and identified the cells related to interleukin 8 production in liver tissue.


METHODS
Studies were performed on 29 patients with chronic viral hepatitis and 20 normal controls. Serum interleukin 8 levels were assayed using a sandwich ELISA. Immunohistochemical examination was performed to identify the cells related to interleukin 8 production by using a rabbit polyvalent antibody to human interleukin 8.


RESULTS
Serum interleukin 8 levels were found to be increased significantly (p<0.05) in patients with chronic viral hepatitis compared with normal controls. They were also increased significantly in patients with chronic active hepatitis compared with chronic persistent hepatitis (p<0.05), and during exacerbation stages compared with remission stages (p<0.05). Out of the 10 patients examined immunohistochemically, interleukin 8 positive cells in the liver tissue were visualized in 7 patients and observed mainly along sinusoids. There was significant correlation between serum interleukin 8 levels and intensity of staining for interleukin 8 in the liver tissue (p<0.05, r=0.869).


CONCLUSIONS
Interleukin 8 plays a role in hepatic injury in patients with chronic viral hepatitis, and is mainly produced by nonparenchymal cells in the liver.
Masumoto
T
T
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Ehime University School of Medicine, Japan.
Ohkubo
K
K
Yamamoto
K
K
Ninomiya
T
T
Abe
M
M
Akbar
S M
SM
Michitaka
K
K
Horiike
N
N
Onji
M
M
D000328:Adult; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male
D016209:Interleukin-8