Biochemical studies of interleukin-2, 4, 6 and 8 in patients with chronic liver and kidney diseases

Abstract

Background: Interleukins are a group of cytokines (secreted proteins/signaling molecules) that were first seen to be expressed by white blood cells (leukocytes). In chronic hepatitis C, intra-hepatic expression of both IL-8 and IL-2 increased with fibrosis and inflammatory activity. Positive correlations were found between IL-8 and other cytokines and between cytokines themselves. These findings suggest that these interacting cytokines play an active role in the pathogenesis of CHC, and maybe involved in the up regulation or induction of one and other, and interleukin-6 (IL-6), the major cytokine inducers of the acute phase response, are markedly raised in acute alcoholic hepatitis and correlate closely with clinical and laboratory indicators of disease severity. Methods: We measured (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-8) serum levels in 60 patients classified into three different groups twenty chronic renal failure patients, twenty liver disease patients and twenty patients of chronic renal failure combined with liver diseases in comparison to twenty healthy controls. Serum (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-8) were determined using ELISA technique. Results: IL-2 and IL-6 were significantly highest in HCV and combined groups with no significant difference between them, followed by renal group compared to IL-4 and IL-8 were significantly highest in combined group, followed by renal group, followed by HCV group and lowest in control group. Conclusions: IL-2 and IL-6 are elevated in patients with chronic HCV disease. IL-4 and IL-8 are elevated in chronic renal failure.