Serum Levels of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and TGF-β in Chronic HBV-Infected Patients: Effect of Depression and Anxiety

Lab Med. 2017 Dec 22;49(1):41-46. doi: 10.1093/labmed/lmx064.

Abstract

Objective: To assess the effects of depression and anxiety on serum cytokine levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 60 healthy control individuals and 60 patients with CHB participated after filling out standard questionnaires. We examined their serum interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and TGF-β levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques.

Results: In patients with CHB compared with healthy controls, serum levels of IL-8 were significantly increased, whereas IL-6 and TGF-β levels were significantly decreased. Serum levels of TGF-β were significantly decreased in the patients with CHB who had mild depression, compared with patients with CHB without depression and with moderate and severe depression.

Conclusions: Downregulation of IL-8 and TGF-β, respectively, is a corresponding mechanism for induction of chronic inflammation in patients with CHB. Depression also seems to induce inflammation via downregulation of TGF-β in these patients.

Keywords: IL-6; IL-8; TGF-β; TNF-α; chronic HBV infection; psychiatric diseases.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anxiety* / blood
  • Anxiety* / complications
  • Anxiety* / epidemiology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Cytokines / blood*
  • Depression* / blood
  • Depression* / complications
  • Depression* / epidemiology
  • Hepatitis B, Chronic* / blood
  • Hepatitis B, Chronic* / complications
  • Hepatitis B, Chronic* / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged

Substances

  • Cytokines