[Serum levels and clinical significance of soluble CD40 in liver disease].
OBJECTIVE
To measure the level of serum soluble CD40 (sCD40) in patients with acute hepatitis, hepatitis gravis and primary carcinoma of the liver, and to evaluate the relationship of sCD40 with biochemical marks and disease prognosis.


METHODS
Patients with acute hepatitis (n=49) hepatitis gravis (n=22) and primary carcinoma of the liver (n=13) were studied, and serum sCD40 was determined in these patients and compared with that of healthy controls (n=44) by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The binding capacity of serum sCD40 to its ligand CD40L was detected by flow cytometry (FCM) in vitro.


RESULTS
Concentration of sCD40 was significantly higher in patients with liver disease than that in healthy controls (P<0.001), but no significant difference was found between the three types of liver disease (P=0.475). In the hepatitis gravis group, sCD40 concentration in dead patients was higher compared with that in the survivals (P<0.05). Level of sCD40 in patients with acute hepatitis was correlated with serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartic transaminase (AST). The serum sCD40 could bind CD40L in vitro.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that sCD40 is an important serological marker in liver disease to evaluate acute injury of hepatocytes, and it shows a relevance with the prognosis of hepatitis gravis. The highly elevated level of sCD40 suggest the involvement of CD40 and its ligand CD40L in liver disease.
Liu
Hui
H
Medical Biotechnology Institute, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China. smbxuegz@public1.sz.js.cn
Qi
Chun-Jian
CJ
Zhuang
Yu-Mei
YM
Gan
Jian-He
JH
Li
Hui-Ling
HL
Yin
Chang-Shuo
CS
Zhang
Xue-Guang
XG
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D023201:CD40 Ligand / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D011379:Prognosis; D012995:Solubility; D015996:Survival Rate
D015415:Biomarkers; D019013:CD40 Antigens; D023201:CD40 Ligand; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase