Correlation between TGF-β1 and INF-γ mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononndear cells in chronic viral hepatitis and progress of liver fibrosis

Objective:To study the TGF-p1, and INF-r mRNA expressions in PBMC of chronic, viral hepatitis and their correlation with liver fibrosis. Methods:TGF-p1 and EVF-r mRNA expressions were detected in PBMC from patients with chronic viral hepatitis with a quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction technique. Serum contents of collagen type IV ( C- IV ), procollagen III ( PC- III ), laminine ( LN) and hyaluronic acid ( HA) were determined with radioim-munoassay. Results: Trie patients with chronic viral hepatitis had significantly higher PBMC TGF-p1 mRNA levels and PBMC IFN-r mRNA levels than those in normal subjects ( P 0.05). All the patients were divided into two groups-group with more than two abnormal items from the four serum markers of liver fibrosis and group with two or less than two abnormal items. The group with more than two abnormal items had signifioaltly higher ratios of PBMC TGF-p1 mRNA lever/PBMC IFN-r mRNA lever (T/1:1.77 + 0.76) than those in normal subjects( 1.34 + 0.42) (P 0.05). No significant difference was found between those in the group with two or less than two abnormal items(l .32 +0.46)and normal subjects(P 0. 10). Condnsion: These results indicate that as PBMC TGF-p1, mRNA levers increase remarkably in patients with chronic viral hepatitis,PBMC IFN-r mRNA levels increase in a relatively low degree,leading to gene expression imbalance between the promoting and inhibiting factors of liver fibrosis, which may accelerate the development of liver fibrosis.