To analyze the potential role of these cytokines in human fulminant hepatitis B, we used immunohistochemistry to study expression of IL-12, IFN-gamma, and IL-10 in explant livers of 11 patients with fulminant hepatitis B, 5 patients with fulminant hepatitis due to other etiologies, 37 patients with chronic liver disease (CLD; hepatitis B virus, n = 15; hepatitis C virus, n = 10; primary biliary cirrhosis, n = 12), and 10 normal controls (NCs).