IL-10 and IL-12p40 in Egyptian patients with HCV-related chronic liver disease.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide with a prevalence of approximately 14% in Egypt. IL-10 is a cytokine produced by Th2 cells. It down-regulates the proinflammatory response and modulates hepatic fibrogenesis. IL-12 is produced by antigen presenting cells. It promotes Th1 cell response and has many antiviral properties. Data concerning the Th-1/Th-2 balance in chronic hepatitis C (CH-C) are rather conflicting. Using ELISA, we assessed serum IL-10 and IL-12p40 levels in 66 Egyptian patients with HCV-related liver illness (CH-C, cirrhosis, and HCC), and their relationship to disease activity. Our results showed that spontaneous IL-10 was undetectable in patients with CH-C, HCC or controls. Only 5/22 (23%) of patients with cirrhosis showed detectable levels of IL-10. IL-12p40 was elevated in the patient groups compared to controls (p= 0.01, p= 0.01, p= 0.05 in CH-C, cirrhosis and HCC, respectively). The presence of IL-12p40 was associated with HCV level of viremia and serum AST. Serum ALT level was significantly associated with the level of IL-12p40. IL-12p40 was unrelated to liver histology or fibrosis. We concluded that in the Egyptian patients an augmentation of IL-12p40 and a suppression of IL-10 are both found. Whether this pattern is related to HCV genotype 4, or to the presence of schistosomiasis would need to be further investigated.
Hassoba
Howayda
H
Department of Clinical Pathology, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
Leheta
Ola
O
Sayed
Amal
A
Fahmy
Hanaa
H
Fathy
Amal
A
Abbas
Faten
F
Attia
Fawzi
F
Serwah
Abdelhamid
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood*; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood*; D053762:Interleukin-12 Subunit p40; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000097:blood*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
D053762:Interleukin-12 Subunit p40; D021122:Protein Subunits; D016753:Interleukin-10; D018664:Interleukin-12; D000410:Alanine Transaminase