Serum cytokine levels in chronic hepatitis B patients receiving peginterferon alpha-2a therapy.
BACKGROUND
The relationship between cytokines and responses to peginterferon alpha-2a treatment in chronic hepatitis B patients has not yet been fully elucidated. We analyzed the serum levels of interleukin (IL)-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, vascular endothelial growth factor, interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP1) and epidermal growth factor during the treatment with peginterferon alpha-2a.


METHODS
Ninety-three serum samples from 20 chronic hepatitis B patients were collected before, during and after 48 weeks of peginterferon therapy and were assayed for 12 cytokines. The patients were categorized as either virologic responders (VRs) or non-responders (NRs) according to their HBV DNA levels taken at 6th month during treatment. The Evidence Investigator (Randox, Antrim, UK), a protein chip analyzer, was used to quantify cytokines.


RESULTS
Among the 12 cytokines, the levels of MCP1 were increased and the levels of IL-4 were decreased during the treatment in VRs. However these cytokines were not significantly changed in NRs in the treatment phases. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) value of HBV DNA measured before the treatment was 0.81 in predicting VRs, and that of the baseline MCP1 was 0.76. IL-6 levels at 3rd and 6th months during the treatment also showed AUROC values 0.85 and 0.78 respectively in predicting sustained VRs.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum cytokine levels reflect the pathological differences of individual treatment phases and could also be useful in monitoring responses to peginterferon treatment in chronic hepatitis B patients.
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752, Korea.
Yongjung
Y
Park
Jun Yong
JY
Park
Kwang-Hyub
KH
Han
Hyon-Suk
HS
Kim
D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D004279:DNA, Viral; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a