SERUM LEVELS OF SOLUBLE INTERLEUKIN-2 RECEPTORS AND EFFECTS OF INTERFERON-ALPHA FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS-C VIRUS

To characterize the role of serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL- 2R) in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, the level of sIL-2R was meas ured by ELISA in 117 subjects with chronic HCV infection and in 23 hea lthy controls. HCV RNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction in al l subjects with HCV infection. Forty-seven patients with chronic hepat itis and 10 with liver cirrhosis were treated for six months with natu ral interferon-alpha. The sIL-2R levels of 40 asymptomatic HCV carrier s (632 +/- 340 units/ml), 47 patients with chronic hepatitis (547 +/- 204 units/ml), 10 with cirrhosis (679 +/- 239 units/ml), and 20 with h epatocellular carcinoma (1145 +/- 487 units/ml) were significantly hig her than those of healthy controls (380 +/- 191 units/ml) (P < 0.05, r espectively). The levels of sIL-2R increased, as did the histological activity index scores (r = 0.348, P < 0.01). The level of sIL-2R rose after the initial administration of interferon in all 57 patients. In patients in whom HCV RNA was eliminated from the sera within a six-mon th follow-up after cessation of treatment, the level of sIL-2R reverte d to basal values, but in patients in whom HCV RNA was not eliminated the value was significantly higher than that before treatment. These r esults suggest that monitoring serum sIL-2R in patients with chronic H CV infection treated with interferon may provide information concernin g the possibility of the elimination of HCV RNA.