Role of Serum Interleukin-10 Levels in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection from India

Abstract

© 2011, INASL 6 Intrafamilial Occurrence of Hepatitis B Virus Infection and the Profile of Liver Disease in Close Relatives of Patients with HBV Infection R Kavitha, TM Ramachandran, T Varghese DM Trainee and Presenting Author, Additional Professor, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, Government Medical College, Calicut, Kerala Aim: To evaluate the occurrence of HBsAg positivity in family members of HBsAg positive patients and to evaluate the burden of liver disease in these family members. Materials and Methods: All HBsAg positive patients who attended Gastroenterology Department, Calicut Medical College from January 2009 to December 2010 were studied. They were evaluated with HBeAg, anti-HBeAb, HBV DNA, LFT and USG abdomen. All first-degree relatives and relatives staying in the same house were screened for HBsAg. The relatives who tested positive were evaluated for disease activity. Results: There were 376 index cases in total: 230 males and 146 females, M:F = 1.57:1. Mean age – 32.8 years (6–76 years). Ninety six (25.53%) patients did not turn up after the initial visit. Among the remaining 280 patients, 48 (17.14%) were HBeAg positive. 60.27% of females were detected during antenatal screening. One hundred and fifty three patients (54.64%) had abnormal LFT, 21 (7.5%) had acute hepatitis, 46 (16.43%) had cirrhosis and 10 (3.57%) had HCC. Complete family screening was done for 173 cases (61.8%). Among the cases whose family members were screened, 95 (54.91%) had at least one family member seropositive. A total of 1115 family members were screened of which 162 (14.53%) were HBsAg positive. The relatives affected were brothers (26.01%) and sisters (19.08%); mothers in 10.40%, fathers in 10.98%, sons in 6.08%, daughters in 1.35%, second-degree relatives in 5.78% and 4.72% of spouses. Affected family members had LFT abnormality in 31/43 (72.09%), cirrhosis in 9.3% (4/43), and HCC in 1 patient. 27.9% (12/43) cases were HBeAg positive. Forty seven (16.79%) index cases were reluctant for family screening. Conclusion: The occurrence of hepatitis B positivity in family members of HBsAg positive patients was 14.53% which is 28-fold more than the community prevalence of HBV infection in our population which was only 0.52%. Brothers and sisters were more affected. Hence the infection among siblings and parents may be due to horizontal transmission. Conflict of Interest: None Role of Serum Interleukin-10 Levels in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection from India R Ruttalla, PK Gumma, SK Polipalli, VK Karra, P Kar Department of Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, University of Delhi, India Background/Aims: Cytokines play a significant role in immune defense and may play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B. Patients with chronic hepatitis B infection were evaluated to determine whether serum interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels were changed and whether the degree of these changes in serum levels correlated with HBV DNA levels. Methodology: Twenty nine patients diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B, 20 inactive HBsAg carriers, 20 liver cirrhosis and 18 healthy controls without any hepatitis marker positivity were included in the study. Serum IL-10 levels were measured by using commercially available ELISA kits as per the manufacturer instruction [Ray Biotech, Norcross]. The associations between liver pathology and HBV DNA levels were assessed. Result: IL-10 is elevated more in liver cirrhosis with positive HBeAg in comparison to asymptomatic carrier and control. The IL-10 levels calculated were: cirrhosis (53.60 ± 52.10), CHB (51.90 ± 37.1), HbsAg carrier (32.27 ± 22.10) and healthy (50.01 ± 43.03) pg/mL. Conclusion: IL-10 production is increased in liver cirrhosis patients with HBeAg positivity as compared to other groups (p < 0.05). However, as IL-10 is increased in liver cirrhosis with HBeAg positivity, the HBe antigen may be responsible for the raised IL-10 levels. Conflict of Interest: None Oral Plenary Session Expression Analysis of Proteins Inducing Interferon in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients P Kar, PK Gumma, S Medhi PCR Hepatitis Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India Background: In virus-infected cells, pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) like toll-like receptor (TLR)-3 and RIG-I recruits their specific adaptor molecules, mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) and TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF) which through TRAF6 induce the interferon. 03_JCEH-Abstract.indd 6 3/18/2011 11:13:03 AM