Expression And Significance Of IL-12in The Different Infection Peirod Of Hepaittis B Virus In Liver Tissues

Background The precise pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B was still incompletelyunderstood. T-cells response was characterized by a vigorous, polyclonal, andmulti-specific cytotoxic and Th cells response during acute self-limited hepatitis Bpatients. By contrast, the immune response was weak in chronic HBV carriers. Theassociation between the difference of host immune response and clinical states ofchronic HBV infection was still unclear. The Interleukin-12(IL-12) can regulate thebalance between Th1/Th2lymphocyte subsets, promote naive T cells differentiationinto Th1cells, and inhibit naive T cells differentiation into Th2cells. IL-12canpromote HBV-specific CD8+T cells responses in chronic hepatitis B virus carriers,restore the virus specific T helper cells in chronic hepatitis B patients and inhibit HBVreplication. The expression levels and its clinical significance of IL-12in liver tissueswith chronic HBV infection.Objective To explore the association between IL-12and the pathogenesis ofchronic HBV infection by investigating the hepatic levels of IL-12among variousclinical states of chronic HBV infection and to estimate the possibility of hepatic IL-12levels being a routine immune marker in chronic HBV infection patients.Methods Using immunohistochemistry SP method to study expression of IL-12inlivers of107cases of chronic hepatitis B,41cases of hepatitis B cirrhosis,37cases ofHBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma,76cases of chronic HBV carriers and9normalcontrols, compared with HBV DNA, HBV serologic markers, HBeAg, ALT and liverpathology. Results1.The expression of IL-12was primarily distributed in cytoplasm. The expressionlevels of IL-12between the healthy controls, chronic hepatitis B, cirrhosis and HCCgroups were different significantly(P<0.05).2.The hepatic levels of IL-12in patients with CHB has no correlation with cases ofliver inflammation grading(P>0.05).3.The hepatic levels of IL-12are not different in group HCC and tumor-adjacent tissueSignificantly.4.The hepatic levels of IL-12in patients with CHB has no correlation with HBeAg,HBV-DNA level(P>0.05). The level of IL-12between different ALT level groups wassignificantly different(P<0.05).5.The hepatic levels of IL-12in HBeAg positive carriers were lower than those HBeAgnegative patients. The hepatic levels of IL-12in HBsAg carriers with high HBV-DNAwere lower than those with low HBV-DNA. The hepatic levels of IL-12inimmune-tolerance carriers were lower than inactive carriers(P<0.05).Conclusion:1.The expression of IL-12between the healthy controls, chronic hepatitis B, cirrhosisand HCC caused by hepatitis B group were different significantly. It applies that IL-12have obvious relationship with liver inflammation, it may have relationship withimmunopathogenesis of HBV infection.2.The hepatic level of IL-12between different HBV-DNA load and different HBeAgstate groups was significantly different, suggesting that IL-12may has relationshipwith HBeAg seroconversion and HBV-DNA disappearance.