Korean J Lab Med.  2004 Apr;24(2):139-145.

Determination and Significance of Serum Interleukin-18 Levels in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection

• Yoon DY
• Lee KA
• Park JK
• Kim JW

Abstract

BACKGROUND
The aim of our study was to investigate the diagnostic value of interleukin-18 (IL-18) and other cytokines in chronic liver disease patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV), including chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB), liver cirhhosis (LC) with HBV, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with HBV. METHODS: Serum levels of IL-18, interferon-gamma (INF-gamma), IL-4 and tumor necrosis factoralpha (TNF-alpha) were evaluated using ELISA in 87 patients with liver diseases with HBV (asymptomatic carriers, 9; CHB, 19; LC, 40; and HCC, 19), 13 patients with non-hepatic diseases (NHD), and 9 normal controls. RESULTS: Serum IL-18 levels of CHB, LC with HBV and HCC with HBV patients were higher than those of healthy controls and asymptomatic carriers (P<0.05). Serum IFN-gamma and IL-4 levels were not significantly increased in all groups, but TNF-alpha levels were increased in LC and HCC patients (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Determination of IL-18 may be useful in assessing the severity and predicting the prognosis of liver dieases with HBV.

Keyword

Interleukin-18; Interferon-gamma; Interleukin-4; Tumor necrosis factor-alpha; Cytokine; Chronic liver diseases; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Chronic hepatitis; Liver cirrhosis; Asymptomatic carrier

MeSH Terms

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular
Cytokines
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Hepatitis B virus
Hepatitis B, Chronic*
Hepatitis, Chronic
Humans
Interferon-gamma
Interleukin-18*
Interleukin-4
Liver
Liver Cirrhosis
Liver Diseases
Necrosis
Prognosis
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
Cytokines
Interferon-gamma
Interleukin-18
Interleukin-4
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha