The transforming growth factor β1/interleukin-31 (TGF-β1/IL-31) pathway plays an important role in the process of cell injury and inflammation. The purpose of this work was to explore the role of the TGF-β1/IL-31 pathway in the cytopathic process of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). The quantitative serum levels of TGF-β1, IL-9, IL-10, IL-17, IL-22, IL-23, IL-31, IL-33, and IL-35 were analyzed among chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients (n = 17), ACLF patients (n = 18), and normal control (NC) subjects (n = 18). Disease severity in patients with ACLF was assessed using the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) and Child-Pugh scores. Serum TGF-β1 levels were strongly positively correlated with IL-31 in all subjects, and both of them were positively correlated with IL-17, IL-22, and IL-33. In CHB and ACLF patients, serum levels of TGF-β1 and IL-31 were both increased significantly compared with those in NC subjects and positively correlated with total bilirubin (TBil) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels. ACLF patients showed the highest levels of TGF-β1 and IL-31, which were positively correlated with Child-Pugh scores. Furthermore, the recovery from the liver injury in CHB was accompanied by decreased TGF-β1 and IL-31 levels. More importantly, serum levels of TGF-β1 and IL-31 were markedly upregulated in ACLF nonsurvivors, and IL-31 displayed the highest sensitivity and specificity (85.7% and 100.0%, respectively) in predicting nonsurvival of ACLF patients. Increasing activity of the TGF-β1/IL-31 pathway is well correlated with the extent of liver injury, disease severity, and nonsurvival of ACLF patients, while reducing activity is detected along the recovery from liver injury in CHB, suggesting its potential role in the pathogenesis of liver injury during chronic HBV infection.
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