Expression of interleukin-12 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with chronic hepatitis B

Objective: To investigate the expression levels of interleukin-12 (IL-12) mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of the patients with chronic hepatitis B and explore its relationship with HBV activity and the pathological changes of the host. Methods PBMCs from 51 subjects with chronic hepatitis B infection (infected group, including 11 asymptomatic HBV carriers) and 13 healthy subjects (control group) were separated by routine density gradient centrifugation. After the cells were cultured in the presence of 5 μg/ml LPS for 12 h, IL-12 mRNA was measured by RT-PCR. Results Compared with the controls, the levels of IL-12 mRNA were significantly higher in the cohort of patients with chronic hepatitis B, while significantly lower in immunotolerant chronic HBV carriers with high level of virus replication. Conclusion The viral clearance requires a substantial increase in IL-12 production together with enhanced production of Th1 cytokines.