Evaluation of the Correlation Between Serum Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha, Transforming Growth Factor-Beta, Interleukin-10 and Alanine Aminotransferase Levels and Liver Histological Activity in Naive Chronic Hepatitis C Patients

Objective: In this study serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), transforming growth factor beta (TGF- beta), interleukin-10 (IL–10) and alanine transferase (ALT) levels were measured in naive chronic hepatitis C patients and healthy control group. The relationship between the values and the histological activity of the liver was evaluated to make predictions about liver histology without the need for biopsy. Methods: A total of 86 individuals including 43 patients and 43 controls participated in the study. Serum AST, ALT, TNF-alpha, TGF- beta and IL–10 values were analyzed in patient and control groups. The correlation between liver fibrosis degree (stage) and histological activity index (HAI) scores and the IL–10, TNF-alpha, IL-10, TGF-BETA values of the case and control group was evaluated. Results: A very strong correlation was found between HAI and TNF-alpha (rho=0965). A significant relation was found between HAI and TGF-beta (rho=0.446) and statistical correlation was not found between HAI and IL-10. A significant relation was found between HAI and serum ALT values in the patient group. Conclusion: Liver biopsy is an invasive procedure with complications which may have severe results. There is a need for biochemical or radiological markers which extrapolate to liver biopsy. In our study, measurement of serum cytokine and ALT values was observed as a noninvasive method which can help to meet this need.