Detection And Analysis Of Serum Level Of IL-21in Patients With Chronic Hepatic B Virus

Objective: To investigate the serum level of IL-21in patients withchronic hepatic B virus infection, to analyze the relationship of IL-21withHBV DNA, HBeAg, ALT, TBIL and so on, to explore the relationshipbetween the IL-21and their illness and treatment response in patients withchronic hepatitis B.Methods: According to the classification standards of the seventhedition of the epidemiology, the225cases of chronic HBV infection weredivided into chronic hepatitis B163cases, hepatitis B cirrhosis42cases,chronic HBV carriers20cases and20healthy persons as control group. IL-21and HBV serological markers in serum were detected with enzyme-linkedimmunosorbent assay (ELISA). Hepatitis B virus deoxyribose (HBV-DNA)was detected by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR),HBV-DNA level of less than1000copies/ml is defined as negative. All of thedata were analyzed by SPSS13.0statistical software. Measurement datameeting normal distribution and homogeneity of variance of parameter wasanalyzed by test methods and shown as x±s. The non-normal distribution andvariance missing data was analyzed by rank sum test and shown as M(P25,P75). Pearson linear correlation analysis was used to test the relationshipbetween the two variables. The inspection level of alpha is equal to0.05, Pvalue of less than0.05for the difference was statistically significant.Results:1.The serum level of IL-21under different state of HBV infection: IL-21levels in healthy controls was lower than that in chronic HBV carriers, chronic hepatitis B and cirrhosis group, the differences was statisticallysignificant (P<0.05).2. There was no statistically significant differences in the expressionlevel of IL-21between chronic HBV carriers, chronic hepatitis B andcirrhosis group (P>0.05).3.The levels of IL-21in patients with HBeAg negative and HBeAgpositive group, the levels of IL-21in HBeAg negative group was higher thanHBeAg positive group,the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).4. The expression level of IL-21in patients with HBV-DNA positive andnegative groups: the IL-21level of HBV-DNA positive group was higher thanHBV-DNA negative group, the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).5.The expression level of IL-21under the different HBV-DNA viralload:the level of IL-21in the group of low viral load(1×103~1×105copies/ml)is higher than that of medium viral load(1.001×105~1×107copies/ml) and highviral load(≥107copies/ml), the differences was statistically significant(P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between mediumviral load and high viral load group (P>0.05).6.The relationship between different ALT groups and the level of IL-21:there was no statistically significant difference between ALT≤40,40<ALT≤120,120<ALT<400and ALT≥400(U/L) group. IL-21and ALTlevels has no relevance(r=-0.055，P>0.05).7.The IL-21level of different TBIL groups: there was no statisticallysignificant difference between TBIL≤17.1,17.1<TBIL≤85.5andTBIL≥85.5(mmol/L) group.IL-21and TBIL levels has no relevance(r=0.040，P>0.05). 8.The expression level of IL-21compared with the untreatedgroup,chronic hepatitis B and cirrhosis who received antiviral therapy withthe nucleoside analogues for at last one year was lower,the difference wasstatistically significant(P<0.05).9.Among patients who received the nucleoside analogues antiviraltherapy for at last one year, the expression level of IL-21in patients whoobtained HBeAg seroconversion or missing is higher than that of the HBeAgcontinuous positive group,the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusions:1. The expression level of IL-21in people with HBV infection is higherthan healthy subjects.2. The expression level of IL-21is related to the replication ofHBV-DNA.The nucleoside analogues antiviral treatment can result in adecrease in the level of IL-21.3. The expression level of IL-21in HBeAg negative group wassignificantly higher than HBeAg positive group, which show us HBeAgexpression may have ability to drop IL-21levels, whether the patientsreceived NUCs treatment or not.