title: The correlation between pretreatment cytokine expression patterns in peripheral blood mononuclear cells with chronic hepatitis C outcome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cytokine response against hepatitis C virus (HCV) is likely to determine the natural course of infection as well as the outcome of antiviral treatment. However, the role of particular cytokines remains unclear. The current study analyzed activation of cytokine response in chronic hepatitis C patients undergoing standard antiviral treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two patients were treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. Twenty-six different cytokine transcripts were measured quantitatively in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) before and after therapy and correlated with therapy outcome as well as with clinical and liver histological data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that patients who achieved sustained virological response (SVR) showed higher pretreatment cytokine response when compared to subjects in whom therapy was unsuccessful. The differentially expressed factors included IL-8, IL-16, TNF-α, GM-CSF, MCP-2, TGF-β, and IP-10. Serum ALT activity and/or histological grading also positively correlated with the expression of IL-1α, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-15, GM-CSF, M-CSF, MCP-2 and TGF-β.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pretreatment activation of the immune system, as reflected by cytokines transcripts upregulation, positively correlates with treatment outcome and closely reflects liver inflammatory activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatology and Acquired Immunodeficiences, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. joannaj108@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jabłońska
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland. tomasz.pawlowski@am.wroc.pl.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pawłowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunopathology of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. tlaskus@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laskus
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Hepatology and Acquired Immune Deficiences, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland. mzalewska@k.pl.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zalewska
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Hepatology and Acquired Immune Deficiences, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland. minglot@interia.pl.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inglot
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery and Clinical Nutrition, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. sylwiao@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Sylwia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Osowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunopathology of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. kperlejewski@wum.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Karol
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Perlejewski
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunopathology of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. ibukowska@wum.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bukowska-Ośko
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunopathology of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. kamila.caraballo@wum.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Kamila Caraballo
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Cortes
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunopathology of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. agnieszka.pawelczyk@wum.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pawełczyk
authors.affiliation: Municipal Hospital of Infectious Diseases, Warsaw, Poland. pzabek@zakazny.pl.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ząbek
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunopathology of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. marek.radkowski@wum.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Radkowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007378:Interleukins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D007378:Interleukins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D012254:Ribavirin