Evaluation of interleukin-8 in hepatitis C virus infection: relation to combined peg-interferon ribavirin response and genotype 4.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a major cause of liver disease worldwide, is frequently resistant to the antiviral alpha interferon (IFN). Previous studies have shown that HCV NS5A protein induces expression of the proinflammatory interleukin-8 (IL-8) and this may affect the therapeutic outcome. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship among levels of IL-8 in serum of subjects with past exposure to HCV indicated by positive IgG to HCV and negative PCR, patients with chronic HCV infections and in responder to combined alfa IFN and ribavirin therapy. The study included 48 Egyptian subjects with evidence of HCV infection. They were classified according to viremia to patients with chronic hepatitis C with positive viremia and immune subjects with positive HCV IgG alone. Chronic HCV patients were followed after therapy and 16 healthy adults as control group. It was found that viral load was dependent factor for the level of IL 8 (P = 0.003) and there was significant correlation between levels of IL-8 before treatment and after treatment. The present study highlights the kinetic of serum levels of interleukin-8 in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 4 before and after therapy with combined alfa interferon and ribavirin. It was demonstrated that HCV infection was associated with higher levels of interleukin-8 in pretreatment and posttreatment period. Moreover, immune subjects also had higher level of interleukin-8, indicating its role in immunity to HCV infection.