ABSTRACT
Objective The levels of Thl cytokines(IL-10 and IL-13)and Th2 cytokines(INF-? and TNF-?)were determined in the sera of patients with Schistosomiasis japonica in order to find the relationship between cytokines and severe hepatic fibrosis(HF)in schistosomiasis.Methods A total of 358 patients with advanced Schistosomiasis japonica were examined by ultrasound.68 HBsAg negative patients were chosen randomly as experimental control.Among them,39 patients were found to have mild HF and 29 were severe HF.The sera levels of Thl and Th2 cytokines were determined with ELISA.Results Among these 358 patients,83(23.2%)were HBsAg positive.Neither earlier nor severer hepatic fibrosis was noted in the patients who had been simultaneously infected with HBV than those only infected with schistosomiasis. There was a significant difference between mild[ 1.60(1.30-12.14)ng/L]and severe[ 4.20(1.43- 52.07)ng/L]HF patients in the level of IL-10(Z=-3.907,P0.05)was found in level of IFN-?,between severe[3.12(1.38-66.14)ng/L]and mild[5.87(1.33-216.33)ng/ L]HF subjects.Our observation did not reveal any obvious difference of TNF-? between severe[ 2.48(0.79 -19.86)ng/L]and mild[ 2.28(0.67-15.72)ng/L]HF groups.Conclusions Patients infected with advanced shistosomiasis may become more susceptible to HBV.The results of the present investigation showed that a high level production of IL-13 was associated with severe HF.