Study of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in Egyptian patients with chronic liver disease due to hepatitis C and bilharziasis

In this study, the serum levels of previous cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 were measured in 60 patients and 20 controls by ELISA technique. The patients were classified into group A [20] cases with type C-CAH, group B [20] cases with mixed pathology type C-CAH and bilharziasis which was subdivided into group B1 [ten cases with active bilharziasis] and group B2 [ten cases with inactive bilharziasis] and group C [20 cases with hepatic cirrhosis which was subdivided into group C1 and group C2]. The results have shown that there was a statistical difference of serum levels of IL-8 in group B1 in comparison with group B2, while there was a change in IL-6 in group B1 in comparison with group B2. Also, there was a statistical difference of serum level of IL-6 and IL-8 in group C1 in comparison with group C2. It was concluded that viral specific activated T-cell response occurred in type C- CAH with or without bilharziasis with subsequent release and elevation of proinflammatory and protective cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-8. Also, this increase of previous cytokines was related to the degree of HCV activity