Circulating E-selectin levels in chronic hepatitis C patients with normal or elevated transaminase before and after alpha-interferon treatment

E-selectin, an adhesion molecule of the selectin family, is involved in leu kocyte adhesion to the endothelium and in the cellular immunological reacti ons. Expression of this molecule, in fact, is physiologically absent, but i t becomes evident on sinusoidal lining cells during inflammatory liver dise ase. The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavior of E-selectin in ch ronic hepatitis C (CH-C) patients with persistently normal transaminase in comparison to patients with CH-C and elevated transaminase, and its changes during alpha-interferon therapy. Immunohistochemical localization of E-sel ectin was also performed on liver tissue specimens of both groups. Fifty-ei ght subjects were divided into 3 groups: group A included 18 patients with CH-C and persistently normal transaminase; group B 20 patients with CH-C an d persistently elevated transaminase levels and group C included 20 healthy subjects, representing the control group. The first two groups were treate d with r-IFN a at a dose of 6 MU 3 times a week for 3 months and followed-u p with 3 MU 3 times a week for another 3 months. Serum baseline values of E -selectin in groups A and B were significantly higher than those in group C (P < 0.04), but there was no difference between groups A and B. Furthermor e, there was a trend toward higher E-selectin values as histological severi ty increased (r = 0.69; P < 0.0001). Post-treatment E-selectin serum values showed a moderate decrease in both groups, but only among responder patien ts; while E-selectin levels were unchanged in non responders. Immunohistoch emical localization showed no staining for E-selectin in normal liver speci mens, while there was a quite similar staining for E-selectin in the two gr oups of patients. In conclusion this study shows that serum E-selectin leve ls in patients with CH-C and persistently normal transaminase are higher th an in controls and they are associated with severity of liver disease. Live r of these patients express E-selectin molecules, suggesting an activation of the immune system almost identical to that of patients with CH-C and ele vated transaminase. In both groups only responder patients showed a moderat e decrease below baseline serum values.