Relationship between tumor necrosis factor-alphaand liver fibrosis.

INTRODUCTION: To intrestigate the relationship between tumor necrosis factor-alphaand liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease.
METHODS: Radioimmunoassay was made in 20 patients with mild chronic hepatitis(CMH),20 patients with severe chronic hepatitis(CSH),51 patients with liver cirrhosis(LC)and 32-normal persons to determine the contents of tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-alpha),laminin-(LN) and hyaluronate (HA) in serum.The changes in and relationship between TNF-alpha,LN and HA were analyzed.The TNF-alphaand collagen III were determined using mmunohistochemical studies in liver tissues from 32 persons including 7 normal persons,3 patients with MCH,5 patients with SCH and 17 with LC.
RESULTS: TNF-alpha,LN and HA levels in serum of CSH and LC patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (SCH:1.11plus minus0.59 130.7plus minus17.2,219.1plus minus121.3;LC:0.92plus minus0.66,156.8plus minus31.7,400.5plus minus183.7,P<0.05-0.01),which increased gradually,and correlated positively with each other in all patients with liver diseases (n=91,gamma=0.3149 P <0.01).TNF-alpha contents-showed a remarkably positive correlation with HA and LN levels in CMH and CSH (LN:n=40,gamma=0.3404,P <0.05 HA n=40,gamma=0.3847 P <0.05).The total collagen content of MCH,SCH and LC increased gradually in liver biopsy specimens.The number of TNF-alphapositive cells increased significantly in liver tissues from patients with SCH and LC (62%;45%;P <0.01).TNF-alphapositive cells were mainly located in the periportal areas.
CONCLUSION: TNF-alphamay be related to liver fibrosis,and might promote liver fibrosis.