INTERLEUKIN-6 IN HEPATITIS-C CIRRHOSIS

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in numerous di seases but the correlation between Liver fibrosis and IL-6 role is not clear We studied IL-6 levels in 50 HCVAb+ patients with liver cirrhos is (grouped into A, B and C, Child classes) and in 27 healthy control subjects. IL-6 serum levels mere significantly increased in the former (p<0.005) suggesting that IL-6 stimulates and sustains liver fibrosis , In cirrhotic subjects, the rise in IL-6 serum levels is due to impai red hepatic clearance of this cytokine, while its production remains s teady.