title: CXCL9 and CXCL10 chemokines as predictors of liver fibrosis in a cohort of primarily African-American injection drug users with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: CXCL9 (monokine induced by IFN γ [Mig]) and CXCL10 (interferon [IFN] γ-inducible protein 10 [IP-10]) have been associated with hepatic fibrosis in predominantly white hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. We investigated their potential as noninvasive markers of hepatic fibrosis and fibrosis progression in African-American patients. Peripheral chemokine levels were measured in 115 HCV-infected patients within 4 months of liver biopsy; patients underwent a second biopsy after 3-5 years. CXCL10 levels appeared to be higher in patients with advanced fibrosis on the contemporaneous biopsy and were significantly higher in patients with advanced fibrosis compared with those with minimal fibrosis on the later biopsy (P = .0045). Therefore, CXCL10 has potential as a marker of fibrosis progression in African-American HCV-infected patients.
authors.affiliation: Center for the Study of Hepatitis C, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zeremski
authors.forename: Rositsa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dimova
authors.forename: Jacquie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Astemborski
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Andrew H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Talal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D001706:Biopsy; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10 / Q000097:blood*; D054370:Chemokine CXCL9 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C114753:CXCL10 protein, human; C080810:CXCL9 protein, human; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10; D054370:Chemokine CXCL9