Study of changes of serum and ascetic levels of TNF-α,IL-8 and IL-18 in patients with type B hepatitis cirrhosis complicated with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis

Objective: To investigate the changes of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-8(IL-8) and interleukin-18(IL-18) in serum and ascetic fluid of patients with type B hepatitis cirrhosis complicated with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP),and to explore the role of TNF-α,IL-8 and IL-18 in the development and progression of hepatic cirrhosis complicated with SBP. Methods: Serum and ascetic fluid levels of TNF-α,IL-8 and IL-18 in 24 patients with type B hepatitis cirrhosis complicated with SBP,24 patients with type B hepatitis cirrhosis complicated without SBP and 24 healthy persons were measured with ELISA method. Results: The serum and ascetic levels of TNF-α,IL-8 and IL-18 in patients with cirrhosis complicated with SBP were significantly higher than those in the control group and higher than those in cirrhotic patients without SBP.In the control group the serum and ascitc fluid levels of TNF-α,IL-8 and IL-18 were less than those in the cirrhltic patients without SBP(P0.05). Conclusion: The serum and ascetic levels of TNF-α,IL-8 and IL-18 in patients with type B hepatitis cirrhosis complicated with SBP significantly increase, the three factors partici-pate in the pathologic process of type B hepatitis cirrhosis complicated with SBP. Testing of the levels of serum and ascetic fluid TNF-α,IL-8 and IL-18 is helpful to the early diagnosis of patients with cirrhosis complicated with SBP.