Premium
IL‐22 and non‐ELR‐CXC chemokine expression in chronic hepatitis B virus‐infected liver
Author(s) -
Xiang Xiaogang,
Gui Honglian,
King Nicholas JC,
Cole Louise,
Wang Hui,
Xie Qing,
Bao Shisan
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
immunology and cell biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.999
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1440-1711
pISSN - 0818-9641
DOI - 10.1038/icb.2011.79
Subject(s) - chemokine , inflammation , medicine , immunology , fibrosis , viral hepatitis , hepatitis
Hepatitis B virus infection is still a major global health problem, despite decades of research. Interleukin (IL)‐22 induces acute phase reactants and chemokines, favors anti‐microbial defence and protects tissues from damage. IL‐22 is important in chronic skin inflammation, but its role in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is unclear. This study explores the association between intra‐hepatic IL‐22 expression, its relevant associated cytokines and the severity of liver inflammation/fibrosis in CHB patients. IL‐22, IL‐17, IL‐10, IL‐6, non‐ELR‐CXC chemokines (CXCL‐9, CXCL‐10, CXCL‐11), fibroblast growth factors and Kupffer cell (KC) numbers were measured in patients with CHB ( n =65), acute hepatitis B (AHB; n =4), chronic hepatitis C (CHC; n =14) and non‐viral hepatitis ( n =23), using immunohistochemistry. Expression of IL‐22, IL‐17, IL‐10, IL‐6, non‐ELR‐CXC chemokines and number of KCs in liver tissues were substantially higher in AHB patients than others. In CHB patients, the expression of IL‐22, IL‐6, CXCL‐9 and CXCL‐10 were significantly higher with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels ⩽twice the upper limit of normal (ULN), compared with those with ALT levels >twice the ULN, whereas IL‐10 and IL‐17 showed a reverse pattern. IL‐22 was inversely ( P <0.01), but IL‐17 was positively ( P <0.05), correlated with the histological activity index) in these patients, and a significant negative correlation between the fibrosis stage and IL‐22 or non‐ELR‐CXC chemokines was observed. Furthermore, immunofluorescent labeling demonstrated a close spatial association of IL‐22, CXCL‐9, ‐10 or ‐11 in the CHB liver. We speculate that IL‐22 and non‐ELR‐CXC chemokines synergistically may provide protection in liver inflammation/fibrosis during CHB infection.