Background and Aims

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a slowly progressing, cholestatic autoimmune liver disease characterized by specific serum anti-mitochondrial (AMA) and anti-nuclear (ANAs) autoantibodies.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the serum pro-inflammatory cytokines concentration in polish patients with PBC and to determine a correlation with specific autoantibodies and biochemical and histological features.

Methods

Cytokine levels were studied in sera from 192 patients with PBC and 50 controls using commercial ELISA assays. We evaluated concentration of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, IL-23, TNF-α, INF-γ and TGF-β1.

Results

Elevated concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines were measured in over 60% patients with PBC. The levels of IL-8 (92.3 ± 20.4 vs. 4.7 ± 0.5 pg/ml, p = 0.0076), IL-6 (78.6 ± 12.0 vs. 3.9 ± 0.9 pg/ml, p < 0.0001), TNF-α (5.08 ± 1.23 vs. 0.21 ± 0.08, p = 0.0024) and INF-γ (40 vs 15 pg/ml; p < 0.01) were significantly higher in patients with PBC than in control group . Increase in the concentration of cytokines correlated with presence of specific autoantibodies. Elevated concentration of serum TNF-a, IL-8 and IL-17 is accompanied by severe liver fibrosis, as graded by liver biopsy. Also, high IL-8 serum levels were strongly related to biochemical parameters.

Conclusions

Through the pro-inflammatory effects, IL-8, IL-17 and TNF-α may be an important factors in liver pathology, especially in the development of the inflammatory process. Measurements of serum cytokine levels can be used as biomarkers of disease severity