Thrombopoietin or interleukin-6 has no effect on thrombocytopenia of cirrhosis.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to compare the level of thrombocytopenia in cirrhotic patients with HBV and those with HCV, and to investigate whether the reduced serum level of IL-6 in patients with HCV is responsible for the lower platelet count compared to those with HBV through the effect on serum thrombopoietin level.


METHODS
Fifty-three patients with liver cirrhosis, 28 of who were HBV- seropositive (Group A), 25 of who were HCV- seropositive (Group B) and 15 healthy controls were enrolled in this study.


RESULTS
Platelet count in group B [75 (1.5-99) K/microL] were lower than those of group A [140 (62-374) K/microL] (p < 0.001). The median levels of serum thrombopoietin in patients [group A: 31.9 (31-113) pg/mL and group B: 38.0 (31.2-102) pg/mL] and controls [31.3 (31-153) pg/mL] did not show statistically significant difference. The patients compared to controls, had higher serum IL-6 levels [3.6 (2-1150) vs. 2.0 (2-9.9) pg/mL], (p < 0.01), which showed similarity in group A and B patients [3.65 (2-1150) vs. 3.3 (2-45) pg/mL], (p=NS). Serum thrombopoietin level was not correlated with serum IL-6 levels in any group. Serum thrombopoietin and IL-6 levels had no relationship with platelet count and with Child-Pugh score.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study showed that cirrhotic patients with HCV had lower platelet count than those with HBV and controls, and this difference does not appear to be related with either serum thrombopoietin or IL-6 level.
Ozer
Birol
B
Babkent University Faculty of Medicine, Divisions of Gastroenterology, Adana Teaching and Medical Research Center, Adana, Turkey. birolozer@yahoo.com
Serin
Ender
E
Sezgin
Nurzen
N
Cosar
Arif
A
Güclü
Mustafa
M
Gur
Gurden
G
Yilmaz
Ugur
U
Boyacioglu
Sedat
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000209:etiology*; D013926:Thrombopoietin / Q000097:blood*
D015850:Interleukin-6; D013926:Thrombopoietin