title: [Serum levels and clinical significance of soluble CD40 in liver disease].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Medical Biotechnology Institute, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China. smbxuegz@public1.sz.js.cn
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chun-Jian
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Yu-Mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Jian-He
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.forename: Hui-Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chang-Shuo
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Xue-Guang
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019013:CD40 Antigens; D023201:CD40 Ligand; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase