IL-6 significantly correlates with p-STAT3 expression and presents high variceal bleeding with mortality in cirrhotic patients: A cross-sectional study

J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2017 Jun;50(3):286-296. doi: 10.1016/j.jmii.2015.03.001. Epub 2015 Mar 24.

Abstract

Background/purpose: Effective mediators activate downstream transducers regulating inflammation and angiogenesis. Correlation among mediators IL-6, IL-27, TNF-α, and VEGF with STAT proteins at diverse clinical-pathologic stages of cirrhotic patients remains limited.

Methods: Plasma mediators were assayed from 158 naïve liver cirrhosis (LC-total group) and 144 non-LC individuals. The LC-total group included 69 hepatitis B virus-infected (LC-HBV) patients, 40 hepatitis C virus-infected (LC-HCV) patients, and 49 patients without HBV-/HCV- infection (LC-NBNC). Another 144 non-LC individuals comprised 54 healthy persons (HG) and 90 chronic hepatitis patients (CH-total) as the control group. To correlate with plasma mediators, 52 paired liver tissues (CH: 41 and LC: 11 cases) served for p-STAT1 and p-STAT3 immunostaining.

Results: Although IL-6, IL-27, TNF-α, and VEGF were expressed significantly in CH-total versus HG (p = 0.011, p < 0.001, p = 0.007, p = 0.004, respectively) and overall viral hepatitis patients versus HG (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively), only IL-6 presented the strongest correlation in cirrhotic patients than noncirrhotic patients (LC-HBV vs. HG, p < 0.001, vs. CH-HBV, p = 0.001; LC-HCV vs. HG, p = 0.001, vs. CH-HCV, p = 0.031; LC-NBNC vs. HG, p < 0.001). Over-expressed IL-6 linked with poorer liver function (albumin: r = -0.346, p < 0.001; bilirubin: r = 0.271, p = 0.001; INR: r = 0.308, p < 0.001; Child-Turcotte-Pugh Classification C vs. A or B, p = 0.001, p = 0.007, respectively), variceal severity (p = 0.045), and bleeding (p = 0.047), as well as patients' mortality (p = 0.005). Furthermore, plasma IL-6 significantly correlated with tissues p-STAT3 expression (r = 0.737, p = 0.010) (IL-27: r = 0.078, p = 0.820; TNF-α: r = -0.145, p = 0.670; VEGF: r = 0.142, p = 0.678) in cirrhotic patients than noncirrhotic patients.

Conclusion: Over-expression of IL-6 reflects hepatic dysfunction and varices bleeding with mortality, as well as correlates p-STAT3 expression in cirrhotic patients.

Keywords: Cirrhotic patients; HBV/HCV infection; IL-6; p-STAT3.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Esophageal and Gastric Varices / complications*
  • Female
  • Hemorrhage / epidemiology*
  • Hemorrhage / mortality*
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-6 / blood*
  • Liver Cirrhosis / complications*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Plasma / chemistry
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor / blood*
  • Survival Analysis
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • IL6 protein, human
  • Interleukin-6
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor
  • STAT3 protein, human