High plasma interleukin-18 levels mark the acute phase of hepatitis C virus infection.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Proinflammatory cytokines play a critical role in antiviral immune responses. Large-scale genome studies have found correlations between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the interleukin (IL) 18 promoter and spontaneous control of hepatitis C virus (HCV), suggesting a role in clearance.

Methods

Plasma IL-18, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and HCV RNA levels were assessed longitudinally in subjects with known dates of HCV acquisition and analyzed according to IL-18 SNPs and outcome, either spontaneous clearance (SC) (n = 13) or persistent infection (PI) (n = 25).

Results

No significant change in plasma proinflammatory cytokine expression was observed with the exception of IL-18, which

SUBMITTER: Chattergoon MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3203233 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature