Expression of CXC chemokine IP-10 in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
BACKGROUND
Chemokines have strong chemoattractant effects and are involved in a variety of immune and inflammatory reactions, such as attracting activated T lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes and natural killer cells via the pathway of G protein-coupled receptors to sites of inflammatory injury and contribute to wound repair. This investigation was designed to assess the levels of chemokine interferon-gamma inducible protein-10 (IP-10) and IP-10 mRNA, and the relationship between IP-10 mRNA and HBV-DNA and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in patients with chronic hepatitis B.


METHODS
The levels of IP-10 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were kinetically detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The rate of chemokine/GAPDH was regarded as the extreme level of chemokine. The level of IP-10 in serum was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the expression of IP-10 in hepatic biopsy tissue was detected by streptavidin-peroxidase (SP) immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
The level of IP-10 mRNA in the PBMCs of patients was 0.7387+/-0.0768 (lg cDNA/lg GAPDH); it was significantly higher in patients with chronic hepatitis B than that in normal controls (P<0.001). The level of IP-10 in the serum of patients was 660.9+/-75.5 pg/ml. There was a significant difference between patients with chronic hepatitis B and normal controls (P<0.05). In patients with chronic hepatitis B, the level of IP-10 mRNA in PBMCs was correlated with the IP-10 plasma level (r=0.7312, P<0.001), and the IP-10 plasma level was fairly correlated with the levels of ALT and HBV-DNA plasma (r=0.7235, P<0.001; r=0.7371, P<0.001). IP-10 was found by immunohistochemical analysis to be selectively upregulated on sinusoidal endothelium.


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of IP-10 mRNA in PBMCs, IP-10 plasma concentration and the expression of IP-10 in sinusoidal endothelium are all high in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Chemokine IP-10 may play an important role in trafficking inflammatory cells to the local focus in the liver and induce the development of the chronicity of hepatitis B.
Wang
Jian
J
Department of Aetiology and Immunology, Medical College, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China. wangjian8237@sina.com
Zhao
Jin-Hong
JH
Wang
Ping-Ping
PP
Xiang
Gui-Ju
GJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000502:physiology; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
C114753:CXCL10 protein, human; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10; D004279:DNA, Viral; D012333:RNA, Messenger