Relationship between the expression of IP-10 and IP-10 mRNA in peripheral blood and HBV DNA level in patients with cirrhosis.
BACKGROUND
Post-hepatitic cirrhosis is regarded as common and severe form of liver damage. Interferon gamma-inducible protein 10 (IP-10), a member of the non-ELR (glutamic-leucine-arginine) motif CXC chemokine family, has recently been shown to recruit and activate specific subsets of leukocytes to sites of inflammation or an immune response during the development of hepatic cirrhosis. However, the effects of IP-10 and IP-10 mRNA on inflammatory infiltration at local sites and in the peripheral blood of patients with post-hepatitic cirrhosis as well as their relationship with viral load are still poorly defined. This study aimed to detect the relationship between the expression of IP-10 in serum, IP-10 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and the levels of HBV DNA in the serum of patients, and to explore their role in the pathogenesis of cirrhosis.


METHODS
Typical patients with cirrhosis after HBV infection were selected, and their serum IP-10 concentrations were evaluated with ELISA, the content of IP-10 mRNA in PBMCs was measured by real-time PCR, and the load of HBV DNA in serum and PBMCs was assessed by semi-quantitative analysis of gel imaging.


RESULTS
The levels of IP-10 in serum and IP-10 mRNA in PBMCs of patients with cirrhosis were 299.9+/-77.2 pg/ml and 0.7500+/-0.1495, respectively. They were higher than those of controls (P<0.05) and also increased in the HBV DNA(+) groups (P<0.05, P<0.01) to 343.0+/-80.3 pg/ml and 0.8465+/-0.1528, respectively. The levels of IP-10 in serum and IP-10 mRNA in PBMCs were clearly correlated with the load of HBV DNA (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The levels of IP-10 and IP-10 mRNA in the peripheral blood of patients with cirrhosis increase are closely correlated with the load of HBV DNA in serum, and play a key role in the progression of post-hepatitic cirrhosis.
Wang
Jian
J
Department of Aetiology and Immunology, Medical College, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, China. wangjian8237@sina.com
Wang
Ping-Ping
PP
Xiang
Gui-Ju
GJ
Hu
Xiao-Bin
XB
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D002681:China; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019562:Viral Load
D015415:Biomarkers; C114753:CXCL10 protein, human; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10; D004279:DNA, Viral; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D012333:RNA, Messenger