Correlation between serum levels of interleukins 10 and 12 and thrombocytopenia in hepatitis C cirrhotic (Class A) patients

Abdallah N (1), Abdel Aziz HK (2), Hamed NA (3), Gamal M (4)

(1) Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt; (2) Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt; (3) Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt; (4) Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.

ABSTRACT: Patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) commonly have low platelet count. The exact role of HCV infection in thrombocytopenia is unknown. This work aimed to study the serum levels of interleukins (IL) 10 and 12 in patients with mild and moderate thrombocytopenia associated with chronic hepatitis C infection. Our study included 15 patients with chronic HCV infection associated with newly diagnosed isolated autoimmune thrombocytopenia (group I) and 15 patients with chronic HCV infection and normal platelet count as controls (group II). All patients were subjected to thorough history taking and clinical examination, complete blood count, bone marrow aspiration, liver function tests, HCV antibody assay by ELISA and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), abdominal ultrasound, Helicobacter pylori stool antigen test, serum levels of IL-10 and IL-12 and platelet specific antibodies. Our results revealed that eight patients from group l had mild thrombocytopenia and seven patients had moderate thrombocytopenia. Serum IL-10 level was significantly elevated (t = 9.301, p < 0.001) while serum IL-12 level showed significant decrease (t = 6.502, p < 0.001) in group I compared to the control group. No correlation was detected between platelet counts and the serum levels of either IL-10 [r = 0.454, p = 0.089 (group I), r = 0.038, p = 0.89 (group II)] or IL-12 [r = 0.497, p = 0.06 (group I), r = 0.499, p = 0.058 (group II)]. However, in group I, a significant correlation was present only between moderate thrombocytopenia and serum levels of either IL-10 (r = 0.794, p = 0.033) or IL-12 (r = 0.967, p = 0.001), while no correlation was detected between these interleukin parameters and mild thrombocytopenia (r = 0.311and p = 0.453 for IL-10 and r=&endash;0.08 and p=0.851 for IL-12). Based on our data, we may conclude that interleukins 10 and 12 are involved in low platelet level.

KEY WORDS: interleukin-10, interleukin-12, thrombocytopenia, hepatitis C.

CORRESPONDENCE TO:

HANAN KAMAL ABDEL AZIZ, 124 Taawniat Smouha, Alexandria, 21431, Egypt. Phone: +20 127681628. Email: hanankam60@yahoo.com