title: Comparative Analysis of Liver Injury-Associated Cytokines in Acute Hepatitis A and B.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Acute hepatitis A (AHA) and acute hepatitis B (AHB) are caused by an acute infection of the hepatitis A virus and the hepatitis B virus, respectively. In both AHA and AHB, liver injury is known to be mediated by immune cells and cytokines. In this study, we measured serum levels of various cytokines and T-cell cytotoxic proteins in patients with AHA or AHB to identify liver injury-associated cytokines.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-six patients with AHA, 16 patients with AHB, and 14 healthy adults were enrolled in the study. Serum levels of 17 cytokines and T-cell cytotoxic proteins were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays or cytometric bead arrays and analyzed for correlation with serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interleukin (IL)-18, IL-8, CXCL9, and CXCL10 were significantly elevated in both AHA and AHB. IL-6, IL-22, granzyme B, and soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) were elevated in AHA but not in AHB. In both AHA and AHB, the serum level of CXCL10 significantly correlated with the peak ALT level. Additionally, the serum level of granzyme B in AHA and the serum level of sFasL in AHB correlated with the peak ALT level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We identified cytokines and T-cell cytotoxic proteins associated with liver injury in AHA and AHB. These findings deepen the existing understanding of immunological mechanisms responsible for liver injury in acute viral hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea.|Department of Infectious Diseases, International St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic Kwandong University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: So Youn
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seongnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Sook-Hyang
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Pil Soo
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jino
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyung Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Woong
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea. ecshin@kaist.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Eui-Cheol
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology; D030041:Hepatitis A virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000097043:Interleukin-22
chemical_list: D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D007378:Interleukins; D000097043:Interleukin-22; C505661:FASLG protein, human
keywords: Hepatitis A virus; chemokines; cytokines; hepatitis B virus; liver injury