title: [Determination of serum IL-23 and its significance in patients with severe chronic hepatitis B].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the level of the serum IL-23 and its correlation with serum biochemical indices of liver function tests and HBV DNA load in patients with chronic severe hepatitis B.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty patients with chronic severe hepatitis B (severe hepatitis group) and 18 healthy controls (control group) were enrolled in the study. The serum IL-23 expression level was detected by ELISA method. The correlation between IL-23 and ALT, AST, TBil, HBV DNA load was analyzed using Pearson's correlation analysis, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum IL-23 expression level in severe hepatitis group was significantly higher than that of control group (P < 0.05). Serum IL-23 level was positively correlated with serum ALT, AST, respectively (P < 0.05), but was not correlated with TBil and HBV DNA load, respectively (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum IL-23 expression level was increased in patients with chronic severe hepatitis B and was associated with the severe of inflammation. We, therefore, believe that IL-23 might be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic severe hepatitis B.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The People's Hospital of Xiantao City, Hubei Province, Xiantao 433000, China.
authors.forename: Hai-Xia
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xue-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xing-Fei
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Qi-Huan
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D053759:Interleukin-23 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D053759:Interleukin-23; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase