Serum IL-21 levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C and clinical significance of IL-21

Abstract

Abstract: AIM: To determine serum interleukin-21 (IL-21) level and evaluate the roles of IL-21 in chronic hepatitis C (CHC). METHODS: Serum IL-21 levels of 27 CHC patients and 10 control subjects were determined by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the relationship between serum IL-21 levels and HCV-RNA, the live biochemical parameters were studied. RESULTS: Serum IL-21 levels in CHC patients were significantly higher than those in control subjects (P<0.01). Especially, CHC patients with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) have higher IL-21 than patients with normal ALT. There were highly significant positive associations between serum IL-21 and ALT (r=0.647, P<0.01) as well as aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (r=0.591, P<0.01). But no association was observed between IL-21 and HCV-RNA. CONCLUSION: IL-21 is a cytokine involved in HCV-associated liver pathological damage and may be an available marker to evaluate hepatic inflammation for CHC.

Key words: IL-21, Chronic hepatitis C, Inflammation

CLC Number:

R512.6⁺3

PAN Qing-chun, YU Yong-sheng, TANG Zheng-hao, XI Min, ZANG Guo-qing. Serum IL-21 levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C and clinical significance of IL-21[J]. Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 2013, 18(2): 190-194.

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