CXCL10 and CCL2 chemokine serum levels in patients with hepatitis C associated with autoimmune thyroiditis.

To evaluate CXCL10 and CCL2 in patients with hepatitis C virus chronic infection in presence/absence of autoimmune thyroiditis (AT). CXCL10 was significantly higher in: (1) patients with AT than controls without AT (control 1) (P < 0.001; ANOVA); (2) patients with hepatitis C infection than control 1 and patients with AT (P < 0.001); (3) patients with hepatitis C virus chronic infection and AT (HCV+AT) than control 1 and patients with AT (P < 0.001) and hepatitis C (P = 0.004). By defining a high CXCL10 level as a value >218 pg/mL, 2% of control 1, 14% of patients with AT, 68% of patients with hepatitis C infection, 81% of HCV+AT had high CXCL10 (P < 0.0001; chi-square). CCL2 was similar in control 1 and patients with AT. CCL2 was significantly higher in: (1) patients with hepatitis C infection than control 1 (P = 0.04; ANOVA); (2) HCV+AT than patients with AT (P = 0.03) and control 1 (P = 0.02); no difference was observed between HCV with or without AT. Our study demonstrates: (1) higher circulating CXCL10 and CCL2 in patients with hepatitis C virus chronic infection than in controls; (2) higher CXCL10 in HCV+AT than in patients with hepatitis C infection, suggesting a stronger Th1 immune response in these patients.