Do liver IL-12 levels predict sustained response to IFN-alpha therapy in children with chronic hepatitis B?
The aim of this study is to investigate the immunoregulatory role of interleukin-12 and interferon-gamma in children with chronic hepatitis B who are treated with interferon-alpha therapy. The patients were divided into 2 groups: Group I included 16 children with naive chronic replicative hepatitis B infection, and Group II included 6 children who are inactive hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers. Group I received interferon-alpha subcutaneously (10 mU/m(2)/dose), 3 times a week during 4 months. Initial serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, hepatitis B serologic markers, serum interleukin-12 and interferon-gamma levels were measured. In Group I, laboratory tests were re-evaluated in the second and fourth months. Liver biopsy was performed in all patients and samples were used for tissue interleukin-12 level evaluation and histopathological examination. Hepatic activity index (HAI) and serum interferon-gamma were significantly higher in Group I (P < 0.05). Initial tissue interleukin-
