Changes of serum IL-12 level and Th balance of chronic hepatitis B patients and the significance in the course of lamivudine therapy / 第三军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigatethe changes of serum IL-12 level and Th balance of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients in the course of lamivudine therapy and the related significance. Methods According to the differ ent responses to lamivudine therapy, patients were divided into three groups group I ( n = 10), HBeAg positive CHB and complete response group; group Ⅱ (n = 10), HBeAg positive CHB and non-complete response group;group Ⅲ ( n = 5), HBeAg negative CHB group. Sera were collected from patients with chronic hepatitis B before and after lamivudine therapy and healthy blood donors. Then serum IL-12, IFN?, and IL-4 levels were measured by ELISA method. The ratio of IFN?/IL-4 was selected as the marker of Th balance after comparison with that of the normal control. Results Before therapy, serum IL-12 level in chronic hepatitis B patients was lower than that of the healthy blood donors, and Th balance tendency was to Th2 direction. After lamivudine therapy, serum IL-12 level was increased. The highest point of IL-12 was observed in complete response group at the third month after therapy.The tendency of Th balance was to Th 1 direction in complete response group and to Th 2 direction in non-complete response group and HBeAg negative group. Conclusion After lamivudine therapy, the immunity response to HBV of chronic hepatitis B patients can be recovered. The response degree to therapy is associated with the level of serum IL-l2 and Th balance recovery level after lamivudine therapy. Serum IL-12 level may be an appropriable marker to predict the effect of lamivudine therapy in earlier period of the whole course. The recovery of Th balance is the assurance of complete response.