Reduced production of immunoreactive interleukin-1 by peripheral blood monocytes of patients with acute and chronic viral hepatitis

• Published in: Digestive diseases and sciences 1993-03, Vol.38 (3), p.477-481
• Main Authors: MÜLLER, C, KNOFLACH, P, ZIELINSKI, C. C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Hepatitis B - immunology; Hepatitis C - immunology; Hepatitis, Chronic - immunology; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Interleukin-1 - biosynthesis; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - metabolism; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic - immunology; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary - immunology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Viral diseases; Viral hepatitis
• ISSN: 0163-2116; 1573-2568
• DOI: 10.1007/BF01316502

The in vitro production of interleukin-1 beta by peripheral blood monocytes derived from patients with various liver diseases was studied. An impaired production of immunoreactive interleukin-1 (IL-1) (mean +/- SEM) by monocytes stimulated with an optimal dose (100 ng/ml) of lipopolysaccharide was observed in patients with chronic hepatitis B (N = 13; 32 +/- 6 pg/ml) or chronic hepatitis C (N = 13; 61 +/- 12 pg/ml) as compared to those of healthy control individuals (N = 35; 166 +/- 24 pg/ml; P = 0.0003 and P = 0.015, respectively), whereas an unaltered IL-1 production was seen in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis (N = 23; 125 +/- 28 pg/ml) and primary biliary cirrhosis (N = 6; 111 +/- 33 pg/ml). Similar to the situation seen in chronic viral hepatitis, lipopolysaccharide-stimulated monocytes from patients with acute hepatitis also showed a decreased IL-1 production in the first week after onset of jaundice (N = 17; 55 +/- 20 pg/ml; P = 0.001) and a return to normal in the second and third week. An impaired production of IL-1 in chronic as well as acute viral hepatitis is a further example of the known disturbed immunoregulation in this disease.