Original Articles
Copyright ©The Author(s) 1999. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 15, 1999; 5(1): 38-40
Published online Feb 15, 1999. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v5.i1.38
Detection of serum TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6 and IL-8 in patients with hepatitis B
Jing-Yan Wang, Xue-Lian Wang, Pei Liu
Jing-Yan Wang, Xue-Lian Wang, Pei Liu, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Clinical College, China Medical University, Shenyang 110003, Liaoning Province, China
Jing-Yan Wang, , female, born on 1963-11-20 in Kaiyuan city, Liaoning Province, graduated from China Medical University as a postgraduate in 1992, now associate professor of infectious diseases, majoring in hepatitis, having 15 papers published.
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.3920117.
Correspondence to: Dr. Jing-Yan Wang, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Clinical College, China Medical University, No.36 Shanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110003, Liaoning Province, China
Telephone: +86-24-23893501 Ext. 926 Fax: +86-24-23892617
Received: November 9, 1998
Revised: November 27, 1998
Accepted: December 16, 1998
Published online: February 15, 1999
Abstract

AIM To assess the possible roles of cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6 and IL-8) in liver damage of hepatitis B.

METHODS The serum TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6 and IL-8 were detected by ELISA in 66 patients with hepatitis B and 20 healthy blood donors.

RESULTS TNF-α and IL-6 in all types of clinical hepatitis B were significantly higher than those in healthy blood donors (P < 0.05 ); meanwhile the levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6 and IL-8 in the patients with fulminant hepatitis B were much higher than those in the patients with acute hepatitis B(P < 0.05); the level of TNF-α was positively correlated with the levels of IFN-γ, Il-6 and IL-8 in all types of hepatitis B (rIFN = 0.24, rIL-6 = 0.35, rIL-8 = 0.44) and the TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6 and IL-8 were positively correlated with serum bilirubin (P < 0.05). Dynamic changes of these cytokines were observed in the course of acute and fulminant hepatitis. The level of IFN-γ peaked in the initial period of acute hepatitis and early stage of hepatic coma in fulminant hepatitis; TNFα, IL-6 and IL-8 increased with exacer-bation, and reached a peak when the liver da-mage was most serious, then decreased when patient conditions were improved.

CONCLUSION The increased cytokines were re-lated to the inflamm ation of liver cells and multi-ple factors may play certain roles in liver dam-age.

Keywords: hepatitis B; TNF-α; IFN-γ; IL-6; IL-8