The Impact of Liver Steatosis on Interleukin and Growth Factors Kinetics during Chronic Hepatitis C Treatment

TL;DR

This study shows that liver steatosis in hepatitis C patients affects cytokine and growth factor levels, which may influence liver regeneration and fibrosis.

Contribution

The study identifies specific cytokine and growth factor profiles linked to liver steatosis during hepatitis C treatment.

Findings

Patients with steatotic liver disease had lower IL-9, IL-10, IL-13, and IL-22 at baseline.

SLD was associated with higher EGF, VEGF, and ANG levels and distinct cytokine kinetics during treatment.

At SVR12, patients with SLD had significantly higher VEGF and HGF concentrations.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Various biological response modifiers play important roles in the immunopathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C (CHC). While serum levels of cytokines and growth factors change with the disease severity and treatment responses, the impact of concomitant liver steatosis on systemic inflammatory response is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics and kinetics of serum profiles of interleukins and growth factors in CHC patients with steatotic liver disease (SLD). Methods: Serum concentrations of 12 cytokines (IL-5, IL-13, IL-2, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-4 and IL-22) and 6 growth factors (Angiopoietin-2, EGF, EPO, HGF, SCF, VEGF) were analyzed in 56 CHC patients at four time points (baseline, week 4, week 8 and SVR12) with bead-based flow cytometry assay. Results: At baseline, patients with SLD had significantly lower IL-9, IL-10, IL-13 and IL-22 and higher serum concentrations of EGF, VEGF and ANG. In a subgroup of patients with advanced liver fibrosis, SLD was linked with lower serum concentrations of IL-4, IL-5, IL-9, IL-10, IL-13 and IL-22 and higher concentrations of HGH and VEGF. Distinct cytokine kinetics during DAA treatment was observed, and SLD was identified as the main source of variation for IL-5, IL-9, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17A, IL-22, EGF, VEGF and ANG. Patients with SLD at SVR12 had significantly higher VEGF and HGF serum concentrations. Conclusions: SLD is associated with distinct cytokine and growth factor profiles and kinetics during CHC treatment, which might be associated with disease severity and the capacity for liver regeneration and contribute to fibrosis persistence.

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