TY - JOUR
T1 - Cytokine mRNA expression in the liver of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and chronic hepatitis B (CHB)
AU - Shindo, M.
AU - Mullin, G. E.
AU - Braun-Elwert, L.
AU - Bergasa, N. V.
AU - Jones, E. A.
AU - James, S. P.
PY - 1996
Y1 - 1996
N2 - The expression of cytokine mRNA species was determined in liver biopsies from six normal subjects, 18 patients with PBC and 14 patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive CHB using a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. cDNA, obtained by reverse transcription using oligo d(T) primers, was amplified by PCR using primers specific for the coding region of seven different cytokines (IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)). The abundance of some cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-5 and IFN-γ) was also estimated by semiquantitative RT-PCR, using as standards dilutions of synthetic cytokine mRNA transcripts, that could be distinguished electrophoretically from respective native cytokine mRNAs. Hepatic inflammation was assessed by a semiquantitative histologic score and by amplification of mRNA for T cell receptor (TCR)-α. mRNAs for IL-1 and IL-6 were detected in only one control liver. In CHB, mRNAs for IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5 and IFN-γ were detected in 43%, 60%, 80%, 20%, and 54% of biopsies, respectively. mRNA for IFN-γ and IL-4, but not IL-1, tended to be associated with severe inflammation. In five biopsies semiquantitative analyses revealed increased levels of mRNA for TCR-α and, when transcripts were detectable, high levels of mRNA for IFN-γ and IL-4. In PBC, mRNA for IFN-γ was detected in 60% of biopsies, but no mRNAs for IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, or IL-6, or for TNF-α, were detected. Semiquantitative analyses revealed that absolute levels of mRNA for IFN-γ tended to correlate with the severity of hepatic inflammation. The results suggest that: (i) there may be fundamental differences in the roles that cytokines play in the hepatic inflammatory processes of PBC and CHB; and (ii) while hepatic IFN-γ mRNA expression is not specific for PBC, IFN-γ may play a prominent role in the immunopathogenesis of PBC.
AB - The expression of cytokine mRNA species was determined in liver biopsies from six normal subjects, 18 patients with PBC and 14 patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive CHB using a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. cDNA, obtained by reverse transcription using oligo d(T) primers, was amplified by PCR using primers specific for the coding region of seven different cytokines (IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)). The abundance of some cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-5 and IFN-γ) was also estimated by semiquantitative RT-PCR, using as standards dilutions of synthetic cytokine mRNA transcripts, that could be distinguished electrophoretically from respective native cytokine mRNAs. Hepatic inflammation was assessed by a semiquantitative histologic score and by amplification of mRNA for T cell receptor (TCR)-α. mRNAs for IL-1 and IL-6 were detected in only one control liver. In CHB, mRNAs for IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5 and IFN-γ were detected in 43%, 60%, 80%, 20%, and 54% of biopsies, respectively. mRNA for IFN-γ and IL-4, but not IL-1, tended to be associated with severe inflammation. In five biopsies semiquantitative analyses revealed increased levels of mRNA for TCR-α and, when transcripts were detectable, high levels of mRNA for IFN-γ and IL-4. In PBC, mRNA for IFN-γ was detected in 60% of biopsies, but no mRNAs for IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, or IL-6, or for TNF-α, were detected. Semiquantitative analyses revealed that absolute levels of mRNA for IFN-γ tended to correlate with the severity of hepatic inflammation. The results suggest that: (i) there may be fundamental differences in the roles that cytokines play in the hepatic inflammatory processes of PBC and CHB; and (ii) while hepatic IFN-γ mRNA expression is not specific for PBC, IFN-γ may play a prominent role in the immunopathogenesis of PBC.
KW - Cytokines
KW - Hepatitis B
KW - Liver biopsy
KW - Primary biliary cirrhosis
KW - mRNA
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U2 - 10.1046/j.1365-2249.1996.d01-759.x
DO - 10.1046/j.1365-2249.1996.d01-759.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 8706330
AN - SCOPUS:0030017757
SN - 0009-9104
VL - 105
SP - 254
EP - 259
JO - Clinical and Experimental Immunology
JF - Clinical and Experimental Immunology
IS - 2
ER -