Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque density-based centrifugation from 10 patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B [HBeAg(-) CHB;HBV-DNA>2000IU/mL], eight patients with HBeAg-negative chronic HBV infection [HBeAg(-) CI;undetectable HBV-DNA] and 8 healthy controls (HCs). p38MAPK phosphorylation was assessed by phospho-specific flow cytometry in PBMCs and cell subsets (CD3+,CD3-,CD56+,CD56-) after stimulation with cytokines (IL-12+IL-2 and IL-12+IL-18) or nonspecific stimuli [arsenite, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and ionomycin] at 0,30,60,120 and 240 minutes using p38 phospho-specific conjugated antibodies.
Further subgroup analyses revealed that CTLA-4 rs231775, IL-18rs1946518 and IL-18rs187238 polymorphisms were significantly associated with susceptibility to hepatitis B virus (HBV), especially among East Asians.
IL-18 polymorphisms contribute to hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma susceptibility in Chinese population: a case-control study.
The 342 patients with HCC carrying the IL-18-137G/C polymorphism were positive for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.668.
We conducted meta-analyses of randomized, controlled trials to address the association of IL-18 or IL-28B polymorphisms and the outcomes of HBV infection.
The expression of AIM2 mRNA was significantly negatively correlated with serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) load, HBeAg, and significantly positively correlated with IL-1β and IL-18 in AHB patients and CHB patients with immune clearance, which suggests that AIM2 expression is correlated with the immune clearance of HBV in the host.
For the recipients (n = 140) had hepatitis B before transplantation, we studied the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IL-18 gene (rs187238 and rs1946518) and IL-28B gene (rs8099917) by high-resolution melting (HRM) curve analysis.
Modulation of serum interleukin-18 concentrations and hepatitis B virus DNA levels during interferon therapy in patients with hepatitis B e-antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B.
The people with allele C at position -137 in the promoter of IL-18 gene may be protected against HBV infection; moreover AA genotype at position -607 may be closely linked to inhibit HBV-DNA replication.
The content of HBV DNA in the supernatant of co-cultivation of HepG2.2.15 cells and PBMCs without stimulated materials was higher than that stimulated by HBcAg and IL-18 at various concentrations of HBcAg and IL-18 together with IL-12/IFN-alpha 1b.
Hepatitis B core antigen is a potent inductor of interleukin-18 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy controls and patients with hepatitis B infection.
This study therefore sought to determine hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg)-mediated regulation of IL-18 production in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy controls (HC) and patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) or acute hepatitis B (AHB); 31 HC, 27 patients with CHB and 8 patients with AHB infection were included in the study.
Our results demonstrated that HBx induces IL-18 expression in liver, which may be associated with hepatic injury by amplifying FasL expression during HBV infection.