Relationship between circulating interleukin-10 and histological features in patients with chronic C hepatitis
Cosimo Marcello Bruno1, Maria Valenti, Gaetano Bertino
1Department of Internal Medicine and Systemic Diseases, University of Catania, Catania, Italy. cmbruno@unict.it
Background And Objectives:
An imbalance in cytokine production may be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic C hepatitis. The aim of the study was to investigate circulating levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) in a selected cohort of patients affected by chronic C hepatitis.
Design And Setting:
Retrospective study based on consecutive hepatitis C virus patients, affected by chronic active hepatitis, attending the general hospital of hepatology unit from June to September 2009
Patients And Methods:
A total of 49 patients with chronic C hepatitis and 20 healthy control subjects similar in gender and age were examined. Circulating IL-10 was assessed by ELISA commercial kit (R and D Systems) in all investigated subjects.
Results:
There was no significant difference in IL-10 values between controls and overall patients (P>.05). Nevertheless, among patients, subjects with more severe necroinflammation had higher values than others (P<.001). Moreover, a close relationship was found between IL-10 values and serum aspartate aminotransferase (r=0.61; P<.001).
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that IL-10 may be a useful additional marker to assess necroinflammation and to monitor the evolution of liver damage. They also argue for a potential pathophysiological role for IL-10 in the persistence and progression of hepatitis.
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