Batbold Batsaikhan1,2, Ming-Ying Lu1, Ming-Lun Yeh3,4, Ching-I Huang3, Chung-Feng Huang3,4,5, Zu-Yau Lin3,4, Shinn-Cherng Chen3,4, Jee-Fu Huang3,4, Ping-Hsin Hsieh5, Wan-Long Chuang3,4, Jin-Ching Lee6, Ming-Lung Yu3,4, Chia-Yen Dai1,3,4,7,8. 1. Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC. 2. Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. 3. Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC. 4. School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC. 5. Chi Mei Hospital, Liouying, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC. 6. Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC. 7. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Health Management Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC. 8. Department of Biological Science and Technology, College of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, ROC.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cytokine imbalance has been associated with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We hypothesized that cytokines have an important role in fibrosis development in HCV infection. METHODS: Data of 92 patients were analyzed retrospectively. Fluorescent Bead immunoassay was used to measure the following serum cytokine levels: Interferon γ, tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-12. Various statistical analyses were used as appropriate. RESULTS: Of the 92 HCV-infected patients, 49 (53.3%) were male, 23 (25%) patients had advanced (fibrosis grades 3-4) fibrosis, and the mean age of the study population was 51.9 ± 9.4 years. Elevation of baseline IL-4 level (>490 pg/mL) was associated with liver fibrosis grade by χ test (odds ratio [OR] = 2.99; 95%, CI = 1.02-8.78; p = 0.042) and multivariate logistic regression (OR = 4.26; 95% CI = 1.13-16.02; p = 0.032). Also, IL-4 had strong diagnostic value in advanced liver fibrosis by using area under receiver operating characteristics curve analysis. Assessment of fibrosis score was consequently developed from our findings and compared with other noninvasive serum markers to assess liver fibrosis. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that increased IL-4 expression predicted advanced liver fibrosis in treatment of naive HCV-infected patients. The newly developed "FIL4" score had good predictive value for advanced fibrosis before treatment and this value was even strong in HCV-genotype 1b patients.
BACKGROUND: Cytokine imbalance has been associated with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We hypothesized that cytokines have an important role in fibrosis development in HCV infection. METHODS: Data of 92 patients were analyzed retrospectively. Fluorescent Bead immunoassay was used to measure the following serum cytokine levels: Interferon γ, tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-12. Various statistical analyses were used as appropriate. RESULTS: Of the 92 HCV-infectedpatients, 49 (53.3%) were male, 23 (25%) patients had advanced (fibrosis grades 3-4) fibrosis, and the mean age of the study population was 51.9 ± 9.4 years. Elevation of baseline IL-4 level (>490 pg/mL) was associated with liver fibrosis grade by χ test (odds ratio [OR] = 2.99; 95%, CI = 1.02-8.78; p = 0.042) and multivariate logistic regression (OR = 4.26; 95% CI = 1.13-16.02; p = 0.032). Also, IL-4 had strong diagnostic value in advanced liver fibrosis by using area under receiver operating characteristics curve analysis. Assessment of fibrosis score was consequently developed from our findings and compared with other noninvasive serum markers to assess liver fibrosis. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that increased IL-4 expression predicted advanced liver fibrosis in treatment of naive HCV-infectedpatients. The newly developed "FIL4" score had good predictive value for advanced fibrosis before treatment and this value was even strong in HCV-genotype 1b patients.