[Cytokine production in patients with chronic viral hepatitis C during treatment with interferon-alpha].

Serum content of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1 beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha) and growth factors (GM-CSF, TGF-1 beta) and expression of CD14 and CD95 antigens on peripheral blood monocytes before and after 12-day therapy with alpha-interferon were studied in 25 patients with chronic viral hepatitis C (VHC). The concentrations of TNF alpha, GM-CSF, and TGF-1 beta were significantly increased (p < 0.05) and coexpression of CD14+ and CD95+ antigens on monocytes was increased by 61% in VHC patients in comparison with the control. After 3 months of therapy with alpha-interferon, the content of TNF alpha, GM-CSF, and TGF-1 beta essentially decreased and that of IL-6 increased; this was paralleled by improvement of clinical and laboratory parameters and decrease of coexpression of CD14+ and CD95+ antigens on blood monocytes. Modulation of the functions of immunocompetent cells and changed production of cytokines are apparently one of the mechanisms of inhibitory effect of alpha-interferon on HCV infection. Study of proinflammatory cytokines and growth factors in the serum and expression of CD14 and CD 95 antigens on monocytes can serve as additional tests for evaluating the efficiency of interferon therapy in patients with VHC.