Dharancy Sébastien, Podevin Philippe, Aoudjehane Lynda, Batteux Frédéric, Rosenberg Arielle R, Soubrane Olivier, Calmus Yvon, Conti Filomena
Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire, UPRES 1833, Faculté de Médecine Cochin-Port-Royal, Université Paris 5, Paris, France.
Transplantation. 2007 Apr 15;83(7):906-11. doi: 10.1097/01.tp.0000258729.68871.be.
Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) is usually associated with high levels of hepatic interleukin (IL)-2 and low levels of IL-4 transcripts. HCV frequently recurs after liver transplantation, and its course is accelerated in this setting. We compared in situ expression of IL-2 and IL-4 in transplanted and nontransplanted patients with HCV.
A total of 74 liver biopsy specimens were studied; 52 came from transplanted patients, 38 of whom were HCV-positive (17 mild and 21 severe cases of recurrent HCV) and 22 came from nontransplanted patients, 17 of whom were HCV-positive (7 mild and 10 severe cases of HCV). The expression of IL-2 and IL-4 mRNA and IL-4 protein was studied using the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical methods, respectively.
IL-2 transcript levels were significantly higher in severe than in mild HCV in both liver graft recipients and nontransplanted patients. However, IL-2 levels were higher in nontransplanted than in transplanted patients. IL-4 transcripts and protein were preferentially detected in graft recipients with severe recurrent HCV.
IL-4 expression is elevated in severe recurrent HCV and may play a role in the progression of hepatic lesions after liver transplantation.
慢性丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）通常与高水平的肝脏白细胞介素（IL）-2和低水平的IL-4转录物相关。HCV在肝移植后经常复发，并且在这种情况下其病程会加速。我们比较了HCV移植患者和非移植患者中IL-2和IL-4的原位表达。
共研究了74份肝活检标本；52份来自移植患者，其中38例HCV阳性（17例轻度和21例重度复发性HCV），22份来自非移植患者，其中17例HCV阳性（7例轻度和10例重度HCV）。分别使用逆转录聚合酶链反应和免疫组织化学方法研究IL-2和IL-4 mRNA以及IL-4蛋白的表达。
肝移植受者和非移植患者中，重度HCV患者的IL-2转录水平均显著高于轻度HCV患者。然而，非移植患者的IL-2水平高于移植患者。IL-4转录物和蛋白在重度复发性HCV的移植受者中优先检测到。
IL-4表达在重度复发性HCV中升高，可能在肝移植后肝脏病变的进展中起作用。
