THE EXPRESSION OF IL-2, IL-4 AND INTERFERON-GAMMA (IFN-GAMMA) MESSENGER-RNA USING LIVER BIOPSIES AT DIFFERENT PHASES OF ACUTE EXACERBATION OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS-B

To investigate the hypothesis that Th1 phenotype cytokines are associa ted with the increasing activity of hepatitis and Th2 phenotype cytoki nes with decreasing activity in the liver of chronic viral hepatitis, expressions of the mRNA of the cytokines IL-2, IFN-gamma and IL-4 in t he liver of 23 patients with chronic hepatitis B were investigated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Patients were divided into three groups according to the phase of acute exacerbation of hep atitis as increasing (n = 9), decreasing (n = 8), and stable phase (n = 6). Both IL-2 and IFN-gamma mRNA were preferentially expressed in in creasing phase than in decreasing phase (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, respectiv ely) and associated with the high serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level. On the other hand, IL-4 mRNA was detected in decreasing phase with significant frequency compared with increasing phase (P < 0.05). However, expression of IL-4 mRNA was not associated with serum ALT lev el. Our results suggest that Th1 phenotype cytokines up-regulate and T h2 phenotype cytokines down-regulate the liver in flammation of chroni c viral hepatitis.