Effect of different therapeutic regimens on serum interleukin-21 levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect serum interleukin-21 (IL-21) levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B receiving different therapeutic regimens.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 198 patients with inactive chronic hepatitis B were divided into 3 groups according to the therapeutic regimens, namely interferon (IFN)-treated group (IFN group, n∓38), nucleoside analogue-treated group (NA group, n∓72) and untreated group (control group, n∓88). IL-21 and serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers were detected in these patients using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the liver function indices were measured with an auto-biochemical analyzer.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The serum IL-21 levels in Con and IFN groups were significantly higher than those in NA group (102.29∓14.03, 123.01∓38.26, and 48.10∓7.06 pg/ml, respectively, P<0.05). When all the patients were regrouped according to the status of HBeAg, serum IL-21 level was 114.83∓19.88 pg/ml in HBeAg-negative group (n∓105), significantly higher than that of 61.53∓6.61 pg/ml in HBeAg-positive group (n∓93) (P<0.05). Bivariate correlation analysis showed no significant correlations between IL-21 and liver function indices.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The immunomodulator IFN might be capable of increasing serum IL-21 levels, while nucleoside analogues can decrease IL-21 level in patients with chronic hepatitis B. HBeAg-negative patients have a significantly higher serum IL-21 level, suggesting that the expression of HBeAg might result in IL-21 depression.</p>