Serum profile of T helper 1 and T helper 2 cytokines in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
OBJECTIVE
T cell immunoregulatory cytokines may play a crucial role in the host response to hepatitis C virus infection. While T-helper type 1 cytokines are required for host antiviral immune responses, T-helper type 2 cytokines can inhibit the development of these effector mechanisms. The aim of the present study was to determine T-helper type 1 and T-helper type 2 cytokine levels in chronic hepatitis C infection.


METHODS
Serum levels of T-helper type 1 cytokine, interferon-gamma (IFN-g), and T-helper type 2 cytokines, IL-4 and IL-10 were measured in 30 patients with hepatitis C infection and 25 healthy controls using ELISA. Serum levels of alanine transaminase were also assessed in both patients and controls. Histologic activity score was evaluated in the chronic hepatic C infected patients.


RESULTS
Serum levels of IFN-g were 59.03+/-46.24 pg/mL, IL-4 were 213.59+/-135.67 pg/mL and IL-10 were 106.73+/-60.85 pg/mL in hepatitis C infected patients whereas in healthy controls they were found to be 61.84+/-54.87 pg/mL, 67.39+/-59.74 pg/mL and 60.14+/-50.73 pg/mL respectively. Serum levels of IL-4, IL-10 but not IFN-g were found to be significantly increased in chronic HCV patients compared to those of control subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings may suggest the involvement of Th2 cytokines in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C virus liver disease.
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
Bahri
B
Abayli
Abdullah
A
Canataroğlu
Hikmet
H
Akkiz
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D000410:Alanine Transaminase