title: Erythropoietin and the pro-inflammatory cytokines in chronic C hepatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Erythropoietin has an antiinflammatory action. We proposed to study its effects on patients with chronic hepatitis C.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied a group of 96 hospitalized patients. Those with viral chronic hepatitis C were divided into 2 groups: group A--41 patients with chronic renal failure, and group B--23 patients without renal failure. 32 patients without any hepatitis viruses formed the control group--C. We analyzed: the biochemical tests, the serum IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha, C reactive protein, and erythropoietin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and of erythropoietin were higher in the patients from groups A and B, except the value of TNF-alpha from group B. The dialyzed patients had higherpro-inflammatory cytokines and lower erythropoietiin comparing with the non-dialyzed patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Erythropoietin levels and some proinflammatory cytokines increasein patients with chronic hepatitis C. Erythropoietin could have an anti-inflammatory effect on thepatients without renal failure.
authors.affiliation: Medical Clinic II, Faculty of Medicine, Lucian Blaga University, Sibiu, Romania.
authors.forename: Romeo-Gabriel
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Mihăilă
authors.forename: Elena-Cristina
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Rezi
authors.forename: Minerva
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boitan
authors.forename: Alina-Viorica
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Zaharie
authors.forename: Ariela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olteanu
authors.forename: Mircea
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deac
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D004921:Erythropoietin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein