The cytokine secretion of peripheral blood mononucleocytes from patients infected with HCV

Objective: To detect the levels of cytokines secreted by PBMC from patients infected with HCV after culture for 72 hours in-vitro, so as to reflect the immune state of the HCV-infected patients.

Methods: The levels of cytokines in the culture supernatant of PBMCs were detected by ELISA.

Results: (1)Compared with the cytokine level of normal control, the levels of IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, and IL-10 of HCV patients notably increased while IL-2, IL-4, and IL-12 were not detected in the culture supernatant of PBMCs from both normal control and HCV patients after culture for 72 hours. (2)There was no statistic difference in secretion of cytokines among the patients with mild, and moderate chronic hepatitis, and compensated or uncompensated cirrhosis.

Conclusions: (1)PMBCs from the HCV-infected patients tend to secret Th2 type cytokines. (2)Lack of the IL-2 secretion from PBMCs of HCV patients may account for the immune escape of HCV.