Circulating IL-12 and response to therapy in HCV-infected patients: Potential biomarker for a non-favorable outcome?

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Circulating IL-12 and response to therapy in HCV-infected patients: Potential biomarker for a non-favorable outcome? Mitermayer G. Reis1* 1 Oswaldo Cruz Fundation, Brazil Authors: F. A. Pereira1, L. A. O. Pereira1, T. M. A. Carmo1, R. Paraná2, A. T. Carvalho3, O. A. Martins-Filho3, J. Hagan1, E. A. G. Reis1,M. G. Reis1; 1Research Center Gonçalo Moniz, Salvador/Ba- Brazil, Brazil, 2University Federal of Bahia, Salvador/Ba- Brazil, Brazil, 3Research Center René Rachou, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Objective: Cytokines play an important role in the regulation of immune responses. In hepatitis C virus infection, the production of abnormal cytokine levels appears to contribute in the progression of the disease, viral persistence, and affects response to therapy. The aim of this study was to explore a possible association between the pattern of serum cytokines with response to therapy in HCV-infected patients. Methods: The cohort was composed of eighty-three SVR (sustained virological responders) and seventy-seven NR (non-responders). All patients were administered complete pegylated interferon-α and ribavirin combination therapy followed for twenty-four weeks after the cessation of treatment and divided into different groups according to outcomes of treatment based on HCV-RNA tests. Cytokine-bead-array (CBA) was performed by flow cytometry analysis to determine the pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines plasma levels (IL-1β , IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, IFN-γ and TNF-α). Results: Increased plasma levels of IL-12 was observed in the group of NR when compared to SVR patients (p<0.0001). Interestingly, IL-12 plasma levels were increased in NR patients when compared to SVR patients independently of viral genotype 1 (p=0,0016) and 2-3 (p=0.0073). In addition, when NR and SVR patients were stratified by progression of liver fibrosis according to METAVIR score, no statistically significant differences were observed in IL-12 plasma levels. None of the remaining cytokines plasma levels were associated with response to HCV-therapy. Conclusion: These results suggested that IL-12 levels may be used as a predictive biomarker of therapy response in chronic HCV-infected patients. Keywords: HCV, Cytokines, Response to therapy, Biomarks, il-12 Conference: 15th International Congress of Immunology (ICI), Milan, Italy, 22 Aug - 27 Aug, 2013. Presentation Type: Abstract Topic: Host-pathogen interactions Citation: Reis MG (2013). Circulating IL-12 and response to therapy in HCV-infected patients: Potential biomarker for a non-favorable outcome?. Front. Immunol. Conference Abstract: 15th International Congress of Immunology (ICI). doi: 10.3389/conf.fimmu.2013.02.00392 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 15 Mar 2013; Published Online: 22 Aug 2013. * Correspondence: Dr. Mitermayer G Reis, Oswaldo Cruz Fundation, Salvador, Brazil, miter@bahia.fiocruz.br Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Mitermayer G Reis Google Mitermayer G Reis Google Scholar Mitermayer G Reis PubMed Mitermayer G Reis Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.