title: Serum soluble major histocompatibility complex class I-related chain A/B expression in patients with alcoholic liver disease in Hainan Li community.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the expression and clinical significance of serum soluble major histocompatibility complex class I-related chain A/B (sMICA/B), and its correlation with percentage of CD4(+), CD8(+), and NK cells, Liver fibrosis screening test, and liver enzymes in alcoholic liver disease (ALD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Hainan Li ALD patients (n = 141) and healthy Li subjects (n = 100) were enrolled for the study. Liver enzymes were measured using automatic biochemical analyzer and Liver fibrosis screening test was used to study the correlation. In addition, sMICA/B expression in serum and percentage of CD4(+), CD8(+), and NK cells were determined using ELISA and flow cytometry respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Liver fibrosis screening test results and liver enzymes concentration were significantly higher (both P < 0.01), whereas the expression of sMICA and sMICB was significantly indifferent (P > 0.01) between ALD patients and healthy controls. However, percentage of CD4(+), CD8(+), and NK cells were statistically lower in ALD patients than in healthy controls. The Kendall's tau-b correlation coefficient for sMICA and sMICB/sMICA and LV was 0.561 and 0.120 respectively (P < 0.01). Pearson correlation coefficient of sMICA with the percentage of CD4(+), CD8(+)%, and NK cells was -0.587, -0.525, and -0.232 respectively, whereas the coefficient of sMICB was -0.590, -0.554, and -0.292 respectively (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  1. Liver fibrosis screening test is an excellent non-invasive approach for the diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis and shows significant correlation with liver enzymes. 2. sMICA and sMICB failed to assess the degree of hepatic fibrosis. 3. Decreased percentage of CD4(+), CD8(+), and NK cells were attributed as one of the risk factors for ALD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University 88 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, China ; Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Haikou Hospital of Xiangya Medical College in Central South University 43 People's Blvd, Haikou 570208, China.
authors.forename: Xiaobin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University 88 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, China.
authors.forename: Biqiong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Clinical laboratory, The Second People's Hospital of Hainan Province 24 Aimin Road, Wuzhishan 572200, China.
authors.forename: Danqin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Clinical laboratory, The Second People's Hospital of Hainan Province 24 Aimin Road, Wuzhishan 572200, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Haikou Hospital of Xiangya Medical College in Central South University 43 People's Blvd, Haikou 570208, China.
authors.forename: Xianxian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Haikou Hospital of Xiangya Medical College in Central South University 43 People's Blvd, Haikou 570208, China.
authors.forename: Chunyun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Haikou Hospital of Xiangya Medical College in Central South University 43 People's Blvd, Haikou 570208, China.
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Haikou Hospital of Xiangya Medical College in Central South University 43 People's Blvd, Haikou 570208, China.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University 88 Xiangya Road, Changsha 410008, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yu
keywords: Hainan Li population; alcoholic liver disease; natural killer cells; soluble major histocompatibility class I-related chain A/B