title: [Influence of plasma exchange on serum cytokines in severe viral hepatitis patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the changes of serum cytokines vary with plasma exchange (PE) therapy in patients with severe viral hepatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients suffering from severe liver failure were randomized and treated by PE therapy. The tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-4 (IL-4) levels and liver function before and after PE therapy were examined. Moreover, the relation of TNF-alpha, IL-4 levels and the efficacy of PE, liver function and the compliment were also observed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It showed that the TNF-alpha and IL-4 level of the serum were decreased after PE therapy. The TNF-alpha level of the serum was(79.32+/-22.39) ng/L before treatment and (20.01+/-22.25) ng/L after treatment (P<0.001), IL-4 was(0.61+/-0.07) ng/L before treatment and (0.57+/-0.06) ng/L after treatment (P<0.01). There were more differences between recovering patients and worsen ones (P<0.05 or P<0.01). There was remarkable difference between recovering patients and worsen ones in the liver function improvement (P<0.05 or P<0.01), the severe symptom ( P<0.01 and P<0.05) and the complication (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PE therapy can effectively purge or reduce TNF-alpha, IL-4 and is a method treating and preventing the complication. The worsen patients have continuous inflammation and higher level of TNF-alpha and IL-4.
authors.affiliation: The Third People's Hospital, Changzhou 213001, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Tian-min
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Guo-ping
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yong-zhong
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tong-jun
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Guo-chun
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010951:Plasma Exchange; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4