Soluble interleukin-2 receptor and interleukin-10 levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection.
OBJECTIVE
In the current investigation, we evaluated patients with hepatitis B infection to determine whether serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor and interleukin-10 levels were changed and whether the degree of these changes in serum levels correlated with histologic severity of hepatitis related liver injury.


METHODS
25 patients diagnosed of chronic active B hepatitis, 25 asymptomatic hepatitis B carriers, 25 healthy people with antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen and 20 healthy people without any hepatitis marker positivity were included in the study. Serum interleukin-10 and soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels were measured. The association between liver pathology, HBV DNA, serum transaminase values and these parameters were researched.


RESULTS
Serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor and interleukin-10 levels were significantly higher in chronic hepatitis cases and asymptomatic carriers than that of others (P < 0.01). Serum interleukin-10 levels correlated with histological activity index and HBV DNA values (r = 0.7, P < 0.01) but not with soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels and transaminase values.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results support the observation that interleukin-10 and soluble interleukin-2 receptor may play an important role in the inappropriate regulation of immune response in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection and interleukin-10 may be responsible for chronicity.
Tülek
N
N
Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Social Security Ankara Training Hospital, Turkey.
Saglam
S K
SK
Saglam
M
M
Türkyilmaz
R
R
Yildiz
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002353:Carrier State; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood*
D004279:DNA, Viral; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D016753:Interleukin-10