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Effect of Pentoxifylline on Levels of Pro‐inflammatory Cytokines During Chronic Hepatitis C
Author(s) -
GutierrezReyes G.,
LopezOrtal P.,
Sixtos S.,
Cruz S.,
RamirezIglesias M. T.,
GutierrezRuiz M. C.,
SanchezAvila F.,
Roldan E.,
VargasVorackova F.,
Kershenobich D.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3083.2006.001761.x
Subject(s) - chemokine , immunology , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , proinflammatory cytokine , medicine , immune system , hepatitis c virus , secretion , hepatitis c , tumor necrosis factor alpha , cytokine , pentoxifylline , inflammation , virus , biology , in vitro , biochemistry
Abstract The cellular and humoral natural immune response induced by hepatitis C virus (HCV) is commonly unable to eradicate the virus. HCV is a highly mutable, hepatotropic RNA virus that causes acute and chronic hepatitis, an infection that involves the production of various cytokines. The aim of the study is to analyse the expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines IL‐1β, TNF‐α, IFN‐γ and the chemokine CXCL8 (IL‐8) in liver tissue and their expression and secretion in PBMC of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC), in response to pentoxyfilline (PTX). We studied six CHC patients, naive to treatment. Patients received PTX 400 mg twice a day/8 weeks. Pentoxyfilline resulted in decreased expression of mRNA of liver IL‐1β, TNF‐α and IFN‐γ: 144.2 versus 83.5 molecules of IL‐1β ( P < 0.05), TNF‐α 194.3 versus 17.6 molecules ( P = 0.03) and IFN‐γ 26.1 versus 0.5 molecules ( P = 0.04). Following PTX, PBMC exhibited a decrease in IFN‐γ mRNA 12.2 versus 1.5 molecules ( P = 0.028) and CXCL8 4.2 versus 2.5 molecules ( P = 0.027). In PBMC, only the secretion of TNF‐α was decreased 1109 versus 933.5 pg/ml, P = 0.046. Production of cytokines both locally (within the liver) and systemically (PBMC) may serve as biomarkers of the infection with hepatitis C. PTX inhibits the expression of several pro‐inflammatory cytokines in the liver. These results indicate that it is worth exploring PTX in hepatitis in future clinical trials in nonresponders to antiviral treatment.