title: [Expression of interleukin-17 in hepatitis B related liver fibrosis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the role of interleukin-17 (IL-17) in the pathogenesis and progress of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) related liver diseases, especially in hepatitis B related liver fibrosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Whole vein blood was obtained from the patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) (n=36), liver cirrhosis (LC) (n=42) including child-pugh A (n=15), child-pugh B (n=12), child-pugh C (n=15), primary hepatitis carcinoma (PHC) (n=34), chronic severe hepatitis (n=30) and normal control (n=20).The level of serum IL-17 and the expression of IL-17 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) were analysed by ELISA and RT-PCR respectively. Serum IL-17 and liver fibrosis index (C-IV, LN, HA) concentration of LC classified by child-pugh scores were detected by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The level of serum IL-17 and the expression of IL-17 mRNA in PBMC in four HBV infectious groups were higher than that in control group ( P<0.01). The level of serum IL-17 and the expression of IL-17 mRNA in PBMC in LC group was higher than that in other groups ( P<0.01). The level of serum IL-17 and liver fibrosis index in child-pugh C group in LC patients were higher than that in Child-pugh B group and that in child-pugh B group were higher than that in child-pugh A group (P<0.01). The level of serum IL-17 in LC group positively correlated to child-pugh score and liver fibrosis index (C-IV, LN, HA) (r=0.582, 0.568, 0.682, 0.764, P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IL-17 is obviously increased in HBV related liver diseases, especially in hepatitis B related liver cirrhosis, indicating that IL-17 may play a part in the development of HBV related liver diseases, especially the pathophysiology of hepatitis B related liver fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Intervention Center, Jinan Infectious Disease Hospital, Medical College of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Wen-jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: DU
authors.forename: Lai-ying
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Zhi-zhi
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Xiao-hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Shi-jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D020381:Interleukin-17