title: Interleukin-8 in the blood serum of patients with alcoholic liver disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The influence of the immune system on the development of alcoholic liver disease has recently been the object of attention. However, the connection between alcohol consumption, altered immune response, and development of changes in the liver has not been fully explained. The aim of the present study was to evaluate serum IL-8 concentration in patients with chronic alcoholic liver disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  85 patients with different types of ALD and 35 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. Serum IL-8 concentration was evaluated with the ELISA immunoenzymatic method. IL-8 in liver tissue was measured by the indirect immunofluorescence method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant correlation between IL-8 concentration and AST, ALP, GGT, total bilirubin and albumin levels in blood serum. A significantly higher concentration of IL-8 was seen in all the groups of ALD patients. The highest values were found in patients with chronic alcoholic hepatitis, and the lowest in those with fatty liver. Significantly higher values were found in patients with ascites or encephalopathy in comparison to those without any features of portal hypertension and/or insufficiency of the liver cells. A high concentration of the tested cytokine is a disadvantageous prognostic factor in patients with ALD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IL-8 appears to be an important factor in liver pathology in patients with ALD, especially in the development of the inflammatory process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Hemostatic Disorders, Institute of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland. domixto@poczta.onet.pl
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Swiatkowska-Stodulska
authors.forename: Alicja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bakowska
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Drobińska-Jurowiecka
mesh_terms: D001201:Ascites / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005235:Fatty Liver, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D006519:Hepatitis, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D016209:Interleukin-8