| BACKGROUND:Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been recognized as a major etiologic agent of chronic viral hepatitis in China. More than half of the patients with HBV infection develop chronic liver diseases including chronic hepatitis (CH), liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently, several reports have indicated that activated T cell response may play a role in chronicity and hepatocellular injury in HBV or HCV infection. It has been currently disclosed that CD4+ T cells, which are involved in antiviral response, are subdivided into two populations based on cytokine secretion profiles, so called Thl and Th2 type cells. Thl type cells regulate the cellular immune response followed by producing cytokines such as interleukin-2 (IL-2), interferon- y (IFN- γ ), while Th2 type cells regulate the humoral immune response, followed by producing cytokines such as interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-10 (IL-10). Some studies have shown that these Thl/Th2 type cytokines create the complex network and are involved in pathophysiology of infectious diseases such as humanimmunodeficiency virus infection, leprosy and some parasitosis. On the other hand, interleukin-12 (IL-12) produced by antigen presenting cells promotes the maturation of Thl type cells and initiates the cell-mediated immunity. IL-12 and IFN- Y create a positive feedback with each other, being involved in the elimination of pathological agents. In the present study, we examined serum levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12 and IFN- γ to clarify whether the imbalance of Thl/Th2 type cytokine production is involved in chronic liver disease type B. METHODSSerum levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12 and IFN-γ were measured in 64 patients, including 12 with chronic hepatits B, 12 with end-stage liver cirrhosis, 16 with hepatocellular carcinoma and 12 with hepatocellular carcinoma associated with liver cirrhosis in comparison with 12 normal individuals, by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTSSerum levels of IL-2 in control, chronic hepatitis, end-stage liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatocellular associated with liver cirrhosis were 120.8+45.5pg/mL, 85.9+30.4pg/mL, 81.7+15.lpg/mL, 70.3+12.8pg/mL and 80.7+19.9pg/mL, respectively. Serum levels of IL-4 in control, chronic hepatitis, end-stage liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatocellular associated with liver cirrhosis were 78.6+31.2pg/mL, 194.6+44.3pg/mL, 157.3+33.8pg/mL, 178.5+39.7pg/mL and 183.4+45.8pg/mL, respectively. Serum levels of IL-10 in control, chronic hepatitis, end-stage liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatocellular associated with liver cirrhosis were 5.5+1.8pg/mL,18.2+14.8pg/mL, 25.3+19.8pg/mL, 29.7+23.6pg/mL and 31.6+25.7pg/mL, respectively. Serum levels of IL-12 in control, chronic hepatitis, end-stage liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatocellular associated with liver cirrhosis were 1497.2+164.5pg/mL, 901.1+445.0pg/mL, 329.0+341.9pg/mL, 978.0+582.2pg/mL and 776.6+576.0pg/mL, respectively. Serum levels of IFN- Y in control, chronic hepatitis, end-stage liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatocellular associated with liver cirrhosis were 110.3+35.7pg/mL, 96.5+30.lpg/mL, 103.9+22.lpg/mL, 90.8+25.3pg/mL and 98.9+27.6pg/mL, respectively. CONCLUSIONSThe results of the present study suggest that Thl/Th2 type cytokines are changed in association chronic liver disease type B. |
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