Circulating IL-2, IL-10 and TNF-alpha in chronic hepatitis B: their relations to HBeAg status and the activity of liver disease.
OBJECTIVE
Preferential production of immunoregulatory cytokines may play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B. We aimed to determine the serum levels of IL-2, IL-10 and TNF-alpha in patients with chronic hepatitis B and to correlate these findings with the activity of liver disease, HBeAg/anti-HBe status and replication level of the virus.


METHODS
Seventy-two chronic hepatitis B patients were categorized into 4 groups according to activity of liver disease and HBeAg status. Group 1 (n = 13): HBeAg and HBV DNA-positive with persistently normal ALT. Group 2 (n = 20): HBeAg and HBV DNA-positive patients with persistently elevated ALT. Group 3 (n = 19): HBeAg and HBV DNA-negative patients with persistently normal ALT. Group 4 (n = 20): HBeAg-negative patients with persistently elevated ALT and variable serum HBV DNA. IL-2, IL-10 and TNFa levels were determined in stored patient sera.


RESULTS
Apart from group 1 patients, all patients groups had higher IL-2 levels compared to controls suggesting that IL-2 production is increased when liver disease becomes active in HBeAg-positive phase of HBV infection. Only group 2 patients had elevated IL-10 levels compared to controls. None of the HBeAg-negative patients had detectable TNF-alpha levels while 64% HBeAg-positive patients had elevated levels of TNF-alpha irrespective of the activity of liver disease. Except TNF-alpha, no association was found between HBV DNA status and the presence or absence of detectable cytokines in circulation.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that circulating cytokine profile in chronic hepatitis B is related with the HBeAg status, replication level of the virus and the activity of liver disease.
Bozkaya
H
H
Ankara University, School of Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology, Turkey. bozkaya@dialup.ankara.edu.tr
Bozdayi
M
M
Türkyilmaz
R
R
Sarioglu
M
M
Cetinkaya
H
H
Cinar
K
K
Köse
K
K
Yurdaydin
C
C
Uzunalimoglu
O
O
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D019562:Viral Load
D016207:Cytokines; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D000410:Alanine Transaminase