The Relevance Research Of IL-12and IL-18on The Familial Aggregation Of HCC

Objective: By comparing the serum levels of Th1cytokinesinterleukin-12and interleukin-18between HCC high-incidence families andcarcinoma-free families, to study the relevance on Th1cytokines and thefamilial aggregation of HCC, and to provide some clues for the prevention ofHCC.Methods: Using matching method to select108pairs of members fromHCC high-incidence families(as the experimental group) and carcinoma-freefamilies(as the control group) in Guangxi,and then detecting the levels ofcytokines IL-12and IL-18by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA),and last using statistical method to analyze the results.Results:(1)The serum levels of IL-12and IL-18of the HCChigh-incidence families were significantly lower than the carcinoma-freefamilies (the results respectively were Z=2.952, P=0.003and t=5.367, P=0.000).(2) The level of IL-18in the first-degree relatives was lower than thesecond-degree relatives in the HCC high-incidence families (t=-2.713, P=0.032),while it had no difference between the other degree relatives (P>0.05); Theexpression of IL-12levels between every degree relatives had no obvious difference (P>0.05).(3) The level of IL-18decreased with the increased ofthe number of HCC patients in the HCC high-incidence families (Z=-2.090, P=0.037).(4) To compare the level of IL-12and IL-18of the HCChigh-incidence families from the gender and HBsAg, the results had nostatistical difference (P>0.05).Conclusions:(1)The decrease of IL-12and IL-18imply the imbalance ofTh1cytokines in the HCC high-incidence families’ members, and the immunesystem might had disordered before HCC occurred, which maybe have a closerelation to the familial aggregation of HCC.(2) In the HCC high-incidencefamilies the expression of IL-18increase with the decrease of the relativecoefficient, and we inferred that the expression of IL-18may have a geneticpredisposition.(3) In the HCC high-incidence families, the level of IL-18declined with the increasing numbers of the HCC patients, and IL-18may be aprotective factor against HCC.