ABSTRACT
Hepatitis C virus [HCV] is considered the most common etiology of chronic liver disease in Egypt. It infects immune cells such as B and T lymphocytes, altering their normal functions. Thus liver damage is thought to be the result of these factors that affect the immune response to viral antigens. This study aimed to determine the role of serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor [sIL-2R] and cellular interleukin-2 receptor in the hepatitis C virus disease, and to determine whether other cellular markers have any role to play in that process. In addition to assess the relationship between different diagnostic tools for estimating HCV activity, particularly measurement of serum viral load by branched DNA technology. Levels of sIL-2R were measured by ELISA in the sera of 35 chronic liver disease [CLD] patients, 35 asymptomatic hepatitis C virus carriers [ASC] and 15 healthy subjects negative for HCV markers served as normal controls [NC]. Also, we studied peripheral blood mono-nuclear cells [PBMNCs] samples from the study groups for the surface expression of CD7, CD19 and CD25. The mean serum sIL-2R levels were significantly elevated in the CLD group compared to ASC and NC groups [P. value <0.001, <0.001 respectively]. Patients with CLD showed significant increase in both CD7[+]/CD25[+] PBMNCs [represent mostly active T lymphocytes] and CD19[+]/CD25[+] PBMNCs [represent mostly active B lymphocytes] than other groups. Both patients groups showed decrease in both CD7[+]/CD25[+] PBMNCs [represent mostly T lymphocytes] and CD19[+]/CD25[+] PBMNCs [represent mostly B lymphocytes] than normal control group. Soluble interleukin -2 receptors [sIL-2R] concentration may be a useful non-invasive surrogate marker of disease activity in HCV infection; high levels of sIL-2R are related to activity of the disease rather than to virus replication