Interleukin-1 and -2 in sera of patients with chronic hepatitis (type B).

IL-1 beta and IL-2 values in serum from 28 patients with chronic hepatitis B diagnosed by liver biopsy and 23 healthy controls were measured by the radioimmunoassay (RIA) method. Though both values in patients seropositive for anti-HBe were slightly higher than those in patients seropositive for HBeAg, the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant. In contrast, the relationship between IL-1 beta and IL-2 in patients with chronic hepatitis was statistically significant (P less than 0.001). In general, high values of serum IL-1 beta and IL-2 were seen in patients with chronic persistent hepatitis and low values of serum IL-1 beta and IL-2 were seen in patients with chronic active hepatitis (severe) and in some of these with chronic persistent hepatitis. Serum IL-1 beta and IL-2 values of all patients with chronic hepatitis were higher than in healthy controls (P less than 0.001). Serum IL-1 beta and IL-2 in chronic hepatitis (B) are important indicators of the grade of the inflammatory state of the liver.