Serum Interleukin-37Levels And HBeAg Seroconversion In Chronic HBV Patients

Objectve: IL-37is a new anti-inflammatory cytokine that plays an importantrole in protecting against tissue injury during infections via limiting immune andinflammatory reactions. This study aimed at determining serum IL-37concentrationsand HBeAg seroconversion in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients duringTelbivudine (LDT) treatment; analyzing the correlation between liver function andserum IL-37, and investigating the function of IL-37in the immunity response.Methods: The serum levels of IL-37were determined using enzyme-linkedimmunosorbent assay (ELISA) in40CHB patients (HBeAg positive),30CHCpatients [25with spontaneously resolved Hepatitis C virus (SR-CHC)], and30healthycontrols (HCs). Anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-2and IL-10were measuredusing cytometric bead array, and the concentrations of clinical parameters such asserum HBsAg, HBeAg, ALT, AST, HBV DNA, and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNAloads were measured.Results: The CHB patients：1. The serum levels of IL-37in chronic HBVpatients were higher than the HCs at baseline(P<0.0001). The serum levels of IL-37were higher in chronic HBV patients with high virus loads (P<0.05), but theassociation was not statistically significant.2. The serum levels of IL-37weredecreased in HBeAg seroconverted CHB patients after48weeks of LDT treatment.3.The concentrations of serum IL-37in CHB patients with abnormal levels of serumALT (>50U/L) or AST (>40U/L) were significantly higher than CHB with normallevels of ALT (<50U/L) or AST (<40U/L)(P<0.0001).4. The levels ofanti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-2and IL-10, were lower in CHB patients than the HC,but IL-2levels increased after LDT treatment in CHB patients.The CHC patients：1. The serum levels of IL-37had no significant difference inCHC patients compared with SR-HCV and HCs.2. The concentrations of serum IL-37in CHC patients with abnormal levels of serum ALT (>50U/L) or AST (>40U/L) were significantly higher than CHC patients with normal levels of ALT (<50U/L) or AST (<40U/L)（P=0.0379，P=0.0453）.3. The levels of anti-inflammatorycytokine, IL-2and IL-10, were lower in CHC patients than the HC（P<0.0001）, butIL-2and IL-10had no significant differences compared with CHC patients at thebaseline.Conclusions:1. HBV infection may upregulate the expression of IL-37, theTelbivudine treatment can not only inhibit the replication of HBV DNA but alsoinfluence the expression of IL-37.2. IL-37may play a significant role in the immuneresponse of CHB patients with HBeAg seroconversion.3. The serum levels of IL-37may inflect the degree of liver’s inflammatory damage.4. In future, IL-37may be aneffective therapeutic measure to HBV infection.