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The following is a summary of “Cytokine and chemokine profiling in chronic hepatitis- C and -B virus infections with high viral load.” published in the August 2024 issue of Allergy and Immunology by Kishida.
Defects in innate immunity in chronic hepatitis C and B can lead to dysregulated adaptive immunity, with cytokines playing a key regulatory role.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to clarify the role of cytokines and chemokines in chronic hepatitis C and B.
They evaluated 27 serum cytokines in 27 patients with chronic hepatitis C (genotype 1 [n=20], genotype 2 [n=7], HCV RNA 5.72 ± 3.17 Log IU/mL), 12 patients with chronic hepatitis B (e-antigen [+] [n=5], e-Ag [-] [n=7], genotype B [n=2], genotype C [n=9], HBV DNA 6.19 ± 1.31 Log copies/mL), and 5 controls.
The results showed significantly higher Th1 and Th2 cytokine levels (P<0.05) in chronic hepatitis B compared to chronic hepatitis C. Interleukin-12 and -15 levels were also higher in chronic hepatitis B (P<0.05), while CXCL8 and -10 were elevated in both hepatitis B and C (P<0.05). Immune responses were stronger in chronic hepatitis C genotype 2 than genotype 1, indicating distinct immune states between chronic hepatitis B and C.
They observed immune skewing and impairments in innate immunity linked to adaptive immunity in chronic hepatitis B and C, concluding that enhancing immunological strategies is crucial for managing high viral load in these infections.
