Preliminary Study On The Role Of SICAM-1in Pathogenesis Of Chronic Hepatitis B And The Relationship Between SICAM-1with Virological Response To Interferon-alpha Treatment In Chronic Hepatitis B Patients

PART I: PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE ROLE OF SERUMSOLUBLE INTERCELLULAR ADHESIONMOLECULE-1IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF HEPATITIS BVIRUS RELATED LIVER DISEASEObjective: To explore the role of serum intercellular adhesionmolecule-1(sICAM-1) in the pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus related liverdiseases by detecting the levels of sICAM-1in patients with hepatitis B virusrelated liver diseases.Methods: Levels of sICAM-1were measured by enzyme-linkedimmunosorbent assay (ELISA) method in the120subjects (30patients withchronic hepatitis B,30patients with liver cirrhosis,30patients with liverfailure and30health controls).Results: Serum levels of sICAM-1were higher in patients with chronichepatitis B, cirrhosis and liver failure than in healthy controls (P=0.029,P=0.00007, P=0.0001). In patients with hepatitis B virus related liver diseases, sICAM-1levels were positively correlated with levels of alanineaminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin(TBIL)(ALT: r=0.240, P=0.023; AST:r=0.225, P=0.033;TBIL:r=0.262,P=0.013) and were negatively correlated with the levels ofalbumin (ALB), prothrombin activity (PTA)(ALB: r=-0.297, P=0.005;PTA:r=-0.218,P=0.039).Conclusions: sICAM-1may interfere the procedure of immunologicaldamage of hepatitis B and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of livefibrosis and cirrhosis. Examination of serum levels of sICAM–1in patientswith hepatitis B virus related liver diseases can be used to judge the patients’condition. PART II: PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIPBETWEEN ADHESION MOLECULES AND VIROLOGICALRESPONSE TO PEGYLATED INTERFERON-ALPHA-2aTREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS BObjective:We performed a clinical study to investigate potentialassociation between serum levels of soluble adhesion molecules andvirological response to pegylated interferon-alpha-2a (PegIFN-α-2a)treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB).Methods:Thirty-two patients with chronic hepatitis B virus genotype Bwere recruited,who were treated with PegIFN-α-2a and then followed up for24weeks.Thirty healthy control subjects were recruited from volunteerblood donors. Serum concentrations of soluble intercellular adhesionmolecule-1(sICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesionmolecule-1(sVCAM-1), soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin), solubleL-selectin(sL-selectin) in patients were investigated by enzyme-linkedimmunosorbent assay (ELISA) method before and after treatment.Results:Serum concentrations of sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, sE-selectin,sL-selectin in CHB patients were significantly higher compared to thecontrol group before treatment(p<0.00001, respectively).In CHB patientsresponding to the PegIFN-α-2a treatment, serum levels of sICAM-1,sVCAM-1,sE-selectin,sL-selectin were higher than those in nonresponders before treatment(PI=0.001, PV=0.002, PE=0.02, PL=0.004). The levels ofsICAM-1, sVCAM-1, sE-selectin, sL-selectin decreased in virologicresponders after treatment at12,24weeks(PI=0.0001, PV=0.00004,PE=0.002, PL=0.0004; PI=0.00007, PV=0.00001, PE=0.0003, PL=0.00003),while no obvious changes were observed in nonresponders patients(P>0.05,respectively).Conclusions:Results obtained indicated increased levels of sICAM-1,sVCAM-1, sE-selectin, sL-selectin could be related to virological responseto PegIFN-α-2a treatment in CHB patients, and have a prognostic effect onvirological response.