Serum levels of Th17 associated cytokines in chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Abstract

The Th17-mediated immune response was investigated in patients chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) by determining the serum levels of the cytokines involved in the induction of the Th17 response (TGF-β and IL-6), the cytokines produced by Th17 cells (IL-17A, IL-17F and IL-22) and the cytokines whose production is stimulated by Th17 lymphocytes (IL-8 and GM-CSF). We investigated the relationships among the levels of these cytokines by assessing clinical findings, liver histology and viremia. Sixty untreated patients and 28 healthy individuals were included in the study. Cytokine levels were determined using ELISA. Differences between HCV and control groups were identified in the median levels of IL-17F (controls = 172.4 pg/mL; HCV = 96.8 pg/mL, p < 0.001) and IL-8 (controls = 30.1 pg/mL; HCV = 18.1 pg/mL, p < 0.05). IL-6 levels were higher in patients presenting moderate liver necroinflammation than in patients with mild or no liver necroinflammation (p < 0.05). IL-17F levels were increased in patients that had increased ALT levels. Additionally, a strong positive correlation was observed between IL-17F and IL-22 levels in the two groups investigated, and the IL-17F/IL-22 ratio was lower in the patients infected with HCV (p < 0.0001). Patients with low HCV viral loads had higher median levels of IL-8 (32.5 pg/mL) than did patients with high HCV loads (16.7 pg/mL, p < 0.05). These results suggest that in chronic hepatitis C infection, IL-17F and IL-8 could be associated with the control of liver injury and infection, respectively.