IL-4, IL-17 and CD163 Immunoexpression and IL-6 Gene Polymorphism in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients and Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Aboushousha, Tarek; Emad, Marine; Rizk, Gina; Ragab, Khaled; Hammam, Olfat; Fouad, Rabab; Helal, Noha Said

doi:10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.4.1105

IL-4, IL-17 and CD163 Immunoexpression and IL-6 Gene Polymorphism in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients and Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Document Type : Research Articles

Authors

¹ Department oF Pathology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt.

² Faculty of Biotechnology, October University for Modern Sciences and Arts, Giza, Egypt.

³ Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt.

⁴ Department of Hematology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt.

10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.4.1105

Abstract

Objective: To assess the expression of IL-4, IL-17 and CD-163 as well as study of IL6-572 C/G gene polymorphism in chronic HCV and HCC on top of HCV. Methods: Sixty HCC specimens and 60 adjacent hepatic tissue with HCV of different grades of necro-inflammation and different stages of fibrosis. In addition to 55 HCV, 60 HCC and 50 healthy venous blood samples for evaluation of IL6-572 C/G gene polymorphism. Results: high expression of IL-4, IL-17 and CD163 in higher grades of activity, late stages of fibrosis and higher degrees of steatosis of HCV. IL-4 and CD163 showed higher expression in advanced grades of HCC, while IL-17 more expressed in lower grades. No significant difference in IL6-572 C/G gene polymorphism among studied groups regarding G/C, G/G, C/C frequencies or G and C allele’s frequencies. Conclusion: IL-4, IL-17 and CD163 were associated with HCV severity. Their expression in HCC suggests their important role in HCC development. Blocking of these proteins may be a good target to control inflammation in HCV and can hinder progression to cirrhosis then to HCC. On the other hand, IL6-572 promoter gene polymorphism is neither associated with HCV infection nor with HCC development and its progression.

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