title: Serum IL-2 in chronic hepatitis B virus infected patients and its association with disease activity.
abstract: Association of serum Interleukin -2 (IL-2) levels with the activity of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) was evaluated in this study. We studied 45 subjects in the Department of Hepatology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka. They were divided into three groups. Group A consisted of 15 CHB patients with raised Alanine aminotrasferase (ALT) (> 80 iu/L), Group B consisted of 15 CHB carrier with normal ALT (< or =40 iu/L) and Group C consisted of 15 healthy subjects with normal ALT. Serum IL-2 level was measured in all groups. IL-2 level was detected in 14(93.33%) subjects in group A and 2(13.33%) subjects in group B. IL-2 level was undetectable in all the subjects in group C. The association between IL-2 level and activity of chronic hepatitis B was observed by statistical analysis (Z-test). There is significant difference between group A and group B (p<0.001) and also in group A and group C (p<0.001), but no significant difference between group B and group C (p>0.05). Our results support the observation that IL-2 level can be used as a marker of activity in CHB patients as IL-2 level was significantly detected in the patients of group A.
authors.affiliation: Medicine unit-I, Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Mymensingh, Bangladesh. chitta_dr@yahoo.com
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Debnath
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Sarker
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Sutradhar
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Miah
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D000410:Alanine Transaminase