The Serum Levels of IL-1b, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-a in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) has an extensive clinical spectrum ranging from simple fatty liver to steatohepatitis and cirrhosis. Its pathogenesis is multifactorial. The aim of our study was to measure the serum levels of some cytokines (IL-1b, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-a), which are thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of NAFL. Thirty subjects (18 males, 12 females) with clinical and laboratory features of hepatosteatosis were enrolled in the study as the patient group (group 1) and 30 healthy subjects (21 males, 9 females) served as controls (group 2). The levels of hepatic transaminases, gamma-glutamyltransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total cholesterol, IL-1b, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-a were studied in both patients and controls. Serum IL-1b, IL-6, and TNF-a levels did not display significant differences between the patients and the controls (P > 0.05). On the other hand, the IL-8 level was significantly elevated in the patient group (P < 0.05). This increased level may play a more active role in the pathogenesis of fatty liver than IL-1b, IL-6 and TNF-a. Further studies are needed to elucidate to what extent the proinflammatory cytokines (especially IL-8 and TNF-a) are involved in the pathogenesis of NAFL.