Serum concentration of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1 does not predict advanced liver fibrosis in children with chronic hepatitis B.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to evaluate if measurement of TGF-beta1 has clinical usefulness as a marker of liver fibrosis using ROC analysis and to assess its serum concentration during IFN alpha treatment.


METHODS
Fibrosis stage and inflammation grade were assessed according to Batts and Ludwig and Ishak et al. before and 12 months after the end of IFN alpha treatment of 30 children with chronic hepatitis B. TGF-beta1 was measured by means of the quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique using recombinant human TGF-beta soluble receptor type II as a solid phase pre-coated onto a microplate (R&D System Inc., Minneapolis, USA).


RESULTS
There was no significant correlation between serum TGF-beta1 level and the stage of liver fibrosis. However TGF-beta1 levels in patients before IFN alpha therapy were significantly higher than in controls. IFN alpha treatment did not improve histological fibrosis during 18 months of observation and it did not cause any significant changes in serum TGF-beta1 levels although there was a tendency to decrease its level during therapy and follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum concentration of TGF-beta1 does not predict advanced liver fibrosis in children with chronic hepatitis B.
Lebensztejn
Dariusz Marek
DM
IIIrd Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland. DariuszMar.8810735@pharmanet.com.pl
Sobaniec-Lotowska
Maria
M
Kaczmarski
Maciej
M
Werpachowska
Irena
I
Sienkiewicz
Jerzy
J
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
D016898:Interferon-alpha; C508960:TGFB1 protein, human; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1