title: Activated Cellular Immunity in Chronic Hepatitis C.
abstract: The importance of local immune mechanisms in the development of chronic hepatitis C and its relation with systemic immune disorders is becoming clear and suggests a more generalized involvement of the immune response in this disease. For this reason, we have investigated the serum concentrations of the soluble immune activation markers neopterin, β2-microglobulin and interferon-γ in 28 patients with hepatitis C virus related chronic active hepatitis (n=20) or chronic persistent hepatitis (n=8). Increased levels of neopterin, β2-microglobulin and interferon-γ were found in a subgroup of the patients. Serum β2-microglobulin and neopterin concentrations were strongly related. Patients with chronic active hepatitis had higher β2-microglobulin levels than those with chronic persistent hepatitis. There were no significant differences in neopterin and interferon-γ levels between chronic active hepatitis and chronic persistent hepatitis. A strong association was found between older age and higher β2-microglobulin levels. Because patients with chronic active hepatitis were older than patients with chronic persistent hepatitis, older age may have at least partly contributed to the difference in β2-microglobulin. Because of the known association between cell-mediated immune activation and the production of interferon-γ, neopterin and β32-microglobulin, our results imply that a Th1-type immune response is stimulated in chronic hepatitis C.
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck , Austria.|e Dr. Diez-Ruiz is supported by "Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias" , Ministry of Health , Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diez-Ruiz
authors.affiliation: b Department of Infectious Diseases , Östra Hospital, University of Göteborg , Göteborg , Sweden.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Norkrans
authors.affiliation: b Department of Infectious Diseases , Östra Hospital, University of Göteborg , Göteborg , Sweden.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wejstal
authors.affiliation: c Department of Infectious Diseases 173, Huddinge Hospital and Karolinska Institute , Huddinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Weiland
authors.affiliation: d Department of Internal Medicine , University of Graz , Graz , Austria.
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Tilz
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck , Austria.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wachter
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck , Austria.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fuchs
keywords: Chronic Hepatitis C; Immune Activation; Interferon-g; Neopterin; b2-microglobulin