title: Serum cytokine profile in hepatitis C virus carriers presenting cryoglobulinaemia and non-organ-specific autoantibodies.
abstract: This work investigated the serum cytokine profile (IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IFN-gamma and BAFF) of hepatitis C virus (HCV) carriers with autoimmunity. Forty-seven HCV carriers and 28 healthy controls were evaluated. Cytokine levels were measured by ELISA. Patients and controls presented similar levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IFN-gamma and BAFF (p>0.05). Cryoglobulinaemic HCV carriers had increased IL-2 (p=0.013), IL-5 (p=0.018) and BAFF (p=0.050). IFN-gamma level was decreased in HCV carriers with rheumatoid factor in comparison with those that were RF-seronegative (p=0.035). Patients with beta2GPI IgA antibodies when were compared with those without this autoantibody, had more serum IL-2 (p=0.009), IL-5 (p=0.018) and BAFF (p=0.039). Interleukin-2 was increased in HCV carriers with positive ANA when they were compared with ANA-seronegative carriers (p=0.044). Interleukins IL-4 and IL-10 were not associated with autoimmunity (P>0.05). In HCV carriers, IL-2 was correlated with IL-5 (p<0.0001) and IFN-gamma (p=0.015), and IL-5 with IFN-gamma (p=0.015). We concluded that the serum profile of cytokines in HCV carriers presenting autoimmune markers may be mainly represented by increased IL-2, IL-5 and BAFF.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicologicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Rua Barão de Jeremoabo s/n, 40170115 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. ajatta@ig.com.br
authors.forename: Ajax M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Atta
authors.forename: Isabela S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Gabriel M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: Raymundo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paraná
authors.forename: Maria L Sousa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Atta
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015551:Autoimmunity; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor / Q000097:blood; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology*; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015848:Interleukin-5; C505719:TNFSF13B protein, human; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor