Circulating IL-2, IL-10 and TNF-alpha in chronic hepatitis B: their relations to HBeAg status and the activity of liver disease.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Preferential production of immunoregulatory cytokines may play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B. We aimed to determine the serum levels of IL-2, IL-10 and TNF-alpha in patients with chronic hepatitis B and to correlate these findings with the activity of liver disease, HBeAg/anti-HBe status and replication level of the virus.

METHODOLOGY

Seventy-two chronic hepatitis B patients were categorized into 4 groups according to activity of liver disease and HBeAg status. Group 1 (n = 13): HBeAg and HBV DNA-positive with persistently normal ALT. Group 2 (n = 20): HBeAg and HBV DNA-positive patients with persistently elevated ALT. Group 3 (n = 19): HBeAg and HBV DNA-negative patients with persistently normal ALT. Group 4 (n = 20): HBeAg-negative patients with persistently elevated ALT and variable serum HBV DNA. IL-2, IL-10 and TNFa levels were determined in stored patient sera.

RESULTS

Apart from group 1 patients, all patients groups had higher IL-2 levels compared to controls suggesting that IL-2 production is increased when liver disease becomes active in HBeAg-positive phase of HBV infection. Only group 2 patients had elevated IL-10 levels compared to controls. None of the HBeAg-negative patients had detectable TNF-alpha levels while 64% HBeAg-positive patients had elevated levels of TNF-alpha irrespective of the activity of liver disease. Except TNF-alpha, no association was found between HBV DNA status and the presence or absence of detectable cytokines in circulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that circulating cytokine profile in chronic hepatitis B is related with the HBeAg status, replication level of the virus and the activity of liver disease.