[A quantitative analysis of IL-6 mRNA expression of peripheral blood monocyte cell in patients with chronic hepatitis B].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of interleukin-6 (IL-6) mRNA expression with the immunopathogenesis and viral clearance. METHODS: The serum IL-6 level of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) were detected by ELISA and quantitatively the IL-6 mRNA expression of peripheral blood monocyte cell (PBMC) in patients with CHB were analysed by competitive RT-PCR-ELISA. RESULTS: Serum level of IL-6 in patients with CHB was significantly increased. Both expression rates of IL-6 mRNA target fragment in control and in patients with CHB were 41.7% (5/12) and 82.1% (23/28) respectively. The quantitative ELISA of production of RT-PCR showed the copies of IL-6 mRNA in 5 cases of control were 1 000 to 10 000 (the mean log copies was 3.65), while the copies of IL-6 mRNA in 23 cases of patients were all more then 10 000 (the mean log copies was 4.40). CONCLUSION: This study shows that the increased level of IL-6 may play some role in hepatitis B infection, the increased serum level of IL-6 is related to the enhanced expression of IL-6 mRNA of PBMC.