Tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and interferon alpha in children with viral hepatitis.

To investigate the cellular immunological changes in children with viral hepatitis, interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8), interferon alpha (IFN alpha), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) in supernatant of cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 49 children with hepatitis A, B or C were measured. The levels of IL-6, IL-8, TNF alpha in PBMCs of the 3 viral hepatitis groups were increased and the level of IFN alpha decreased as compared with those of normal control group. But there were no significant differences among the 3 viral hepatitis groups. It was concluded that cellular immunological disorders were related to the onset and the induced damage of the viral hepatitis in children.