ELEVATED PLASMA RANTES IN PRIMARY BILIARY-CIRRHOSIS PATIENTS

RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted) is a member of a large supergene family of proinflammatory cytokines called C-C chemokines and it is expressed by T lymphocytes, fibroblast s, endothelial cells, platelets, mesangial cells, and renal tubular ep ithelial cells, RANTES is chemotactic for eosinophils, basophils, mono cytes/macrophages, and CD4+ memory T cells, This chemokine plays an im portant role in allergic inflammation and autoimmune responses in a va riety of diseases, such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. However, t here have been few studies on RANTES in liver disease; In an attempt t o assess the relationships between plasma RANTES levels and the stages of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), the present study was designed to measure plasma RANTES levels in plasma by the ELISA in patients with PBC and chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and liver cirrhosis (LC) and in heal thy subjects. Plasma RANTES levels in patients with PBC were significa ntly higher than in those with LC and in healthy subjects. They were a lso significantly higher in stages I and II of PBC (group A) than in s tages III and IV of PBC (group B). There was a significant correlation between peripheral eosinophil counts and plasma RANTES levels, A sign ificant correlation was also noted between the grade of eosinophil inf iltration and the plasma RANTES levels. It was concluded RANTES plays an important role in the early stages of PBC. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scienc e Ireland Ltd.