Soluble CD163 is an indicator of liver inflammation and fibrosis in patients chronically infected with the hepatitis B virus.

Soluble CD163 (sCD163), a marker for macrophage activation, was found to be associated with the severity of liver cirrhosis. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether serum sCD163 levels correlate with liver inflammation and fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. In a retrospective cohort study, serum sCD163 levels were assessed by ELISA together with clinical and laboratory data in 186 patients with chronic HBV infection and 15 healthy controls. The relation between parameters for liver fibrosis and necroinflammation and sCD163 levels was analysed. Additionally, sCD163 was quantified in a subset of follow-up serum samples after initiation of antiviral treatment. sCD163 levels differed among phases of chronic HBV infection (P < 0.0001), and sCD163 concentrations were associated with inflammatory activity and fibrosis in the liver. sCD163 levels ≥ 1961 ng/l had a high specificity in the identification of subjects with substantial fibrosis (F ≥ 2). sCD163 concentrations decreased significantly after initiation of antiviral treatment. The correlation of sCD163 levels with necroinflammation and fibrosis and the sCD163 decline under treatment indicates that macrophage activation plays a role in HBV-related liver pathogenesis.

Serum microRNA-122 levels in different groups of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

miR-122 is a liver-specific microRNA, which also circulates in the blood. The levels of miR-122 in serum and plasma correlate with hepatic necroinflammation in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Here, we investigated whether miR-122 levels correlate with surrogate markers for viral replication and translation. Furthermore, we examined whether miR-122 levels differ in the different groups of HBV-infected patients and whether miR-122 levels may be useful to identify patients with higher or lower risk for liver disease progression. Therefore, RNA was extracted from sera of therapy-naïve patients with HBV infection (n = 89) and from healthy volunteers (n = 19). The concentration of miR-122 was assessed by quantitative real-time reverse-transcription PCR. HBs antigen and HBV DNA levels were quantified as surrogate parameters for HBV replication and translation. Liver biopsies were examined according to the histological activity index and the degree of fibrosis was assessed. We found that the miR-122 serum concentration correlated with the level of ALT, HBV DNA and HBs antigen (r = 0.259, P < 0.05; r = 0.225, P < 0.05; r = 0.508, P < 0.001, respectively). The miR-122 serum levels discriminated the different patient groups infected with HBV from healthy subjects (P < 0.001), and inactive carrier patients with high (>3500 IU/mL) or low (<3500 IU/mL) levels of HBs antigen could be differentiated by the miR-122 serum concentration (P < 0.05). As serum miR-122 levels strongly correlated with HBs antigen, it might be an indicator for viral translation. Furthermore, serum miR-122 levels discriminated HBV carrier patients with high or low risk for disease progression and may, thus, be an additional marker for risk stratification.