ACLS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Vecchiet, J.
Right arrow Articles by Guagnano, M. T.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Vecchiet, J.
Right arrow Articles by Guagnano, M. T.
Annals of Clinical & Laboratory Science 35:415-422 (2005)
© 2005 Association of Clinical Scientists

Association between Plasma Interleukin-18 Levels and Liver Injury in Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Jacopo Vecchiet1,2, Katia Falasca1,2, Pierluigi Cacciatore3, Pompea Zingariello1,2, Margherita Dalessandro1,2, Marina Marinopiccoli1, Emilio D’Amico3, Carlo Palazzi3, Claudia Petrarca4, Pio Conti4, Eligio Pizzigallo1 and Maria Teresa Guagnano1
1 Department of Medicine and Aging, and 2 Centre of Excellence on Aging, G. d’Annunzio University, School of Medicine, Chieti; 3 Unit of Hepatology, Santo Spirito Hospital, Pescara; and 4 Departiment of Oncology and Neuroscience, G. d’Annunzio University, School of Medicine, Chieti, Italy

Address correspondence to Jacopo Vecchiet, M.D., Dept. of Medicine and Science of Aging, School of Medicine, G. d’Annunzio University, Via dei Vestini, 66013 Chieti, Italy; tel 39 0871 355 5293; fax 39 0871 561 635; e-mail jvecchiet{at}unich.it.

There is significant upregulation of interleukin-18 (IL-18) expression in viral infectious diseases and in some chronic hepatic diseases, especially (i) hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, (ii) HCV infection with persistently normal ALT levels (PNAL), and (iii) non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of this study was a better understanding of the implications of plasma IL-18 levels in the above-mentioned liver diseases. Thirty-four patients with HCV infection, 13 with NAFLD, and 10 controls were enrolled. The HCV-RNA and HCV-genotypes and the serum or plasma levels of IL-18, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), {gamma}-glutamyltranspeptidase ({gamma}-GT), alkaline phosphatase, total cholesterol, triglycerides, {alpha}1-fetoprotein, and ferritin were evaluated. Patients with HCV showed higher levels of IL-18 than the NAFLD patients (p <0.01) and the controls (p <0.005). Patients with NAFLD showed higher values of body mass index and liver disease parameters, compared to HCV-infected subjects or controls. These data confirm previous reports of enhanced expression of IL-18 in patients with HCV and NAFLD, compared to healthy subjects, and suggest that IL-18 is important as a marker of liver diseases.

Keywords: interleukin-18, HCV-infection, viral hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Annals of Clinical & Laboratory ScienceHome page
K. Falasca, C. Ucciferri, M. Dalessandro, P. Zingariello, P. Mancino, C. Petrarca, E. Pizzigallo, P. Conti, and J. Vecchiet
Cytokine Patterns Correlate with Liver Damage in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B and C.
Ann. Clin. Lab. Sci., March 1, 2006; 36(2): 144 - 150.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2005 by the Association of Clinical Scientists.