title: The levels of IL-1beta, IL-4 and IL-6 in the serum and the liver tissue of chronic HCV-infected patients.
abstract: The pro-inflammatory interleukines play a major role in the progress of chronic hepatitis C. Among the patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, the morphology of the liver was assessed and the levels of serum and liver-tissue IL-1beta, IL-4 and IL-6 were determined. The levels of the cytokines were related to the liver-tissue changes. RNA-HCV was measured by the RT-PCR method. Cytokine levels of the serum and liver tissue were measured by the Quantikine High Sensitivity test. The levels of serum IL-1beta, IL-4 and IL-6 (0.221, 0.104 and 1.393 pg/ml) in all HCV patients were higher in comparison with healthy adults (0.188, 0.025 and 0.600 pg/ml). The levels of liver tissue IL-1beta, IL-4 and IL-6 (4291.3, p<0.05; 1624.6, p<0.05; 1158.7 pg/g protein) in all HCV patients were higher compared with patients with liver cirrhosis without HBV or HCV infection (2319.9, 553.6 and 756.2 pg/g protein). Patients with HCV infection demonstrated a significant correlation between serum and liver-tissue levels of IL-1beta (Pearson: 0.61, p<0.05) and IL-4 (Pearson: 0.51). The level of serum IL-6 in patients with moderate chronic active hepatitis was higher when compared with patients with mild chronic persistent hepatitis. Among the patients with mild chronic persistent hepatitis, the levels of liver-tissue IL-6 were higher compared with those with moderate chronic active hepatitis. There was no correlation between histology changes and the levels of serum and liver-tissue IL-1beta and IL-4.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Medical Academy of Białystok, Poland. doctors@friko.onet.pl
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Lapiński
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D015847:Interleukin-4; D000410:Alanine Transaminase