IL-10 and IL-18: Key players in liver damage associated with hepatitis A virus infection

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Hepatitis A virus infection is a health threat with multiple transmission patterns across areas, It is evaluated using immune response markers IL-10 and IL-18, along with molecular and biochemical diagnostic methods for accurate diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE:

The association between liver damage and interleukin-10 and interleukin-18 levels in people with hepatitis A virus infection as indications of the risk of acute liver failure.

METHODS:

110 samples were collected from Iraqi individuals from both sexes and different age groups $⩽$ 1 to $⩾$ 25, including 60 patients and 50 healthy people. All samples were collected from a hospital in Diwaniyah city, and the infection was confirmed by antiHAV IgM titers and One-Step RT-PCR. ELISA was used to determine the levels of IL-10 and IL-18, while Biochemical tests measured for alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and total serum Bilirubin (TSB) in serum.

RESULTS:

In this study, IL-10 levels were higher in HAV patients (0.12 $\pm$ 0.06 ng/L) compared to controls (0.11 $\pm$ 0.04 ng/L), but the difference was not significant ( $p=$ 0.17). Conversely, IL-18 levels were significantly elevated in patients (1.41 $\pm$ 0.71) versus controls (0.58 $\pm$ 0.35) ( $p=$ 0.00). Biochemical tests showed significantly elevated levels in HAV patients: ALT (170.18 $\pm$ 117.67 vs. 21.25 $\pm$ 7.41), AST (183.05 $\pm$ 128.13 vs. 26.00 $\pm$ 7.69), ALP (607.68 $\pm$ 214.93 vs. 202.02 $\pm$ 121.35), and TSB (2.77 $\pm$ 2.5 vs. 0.55 $\pm$ 0.14) (all $p<$ 0.001). These findings underscore the potential of IL-10 and IL-18 as biomarkers for HAV severity and highlight their role in liver injury.

CONCLUSION:

Our study highlights the important roles of IL-10 and IL-18 in acute hepatitis A and reveals their impact on the immune response and liver damage. Elevated levels of IL-10, IL-18 and Biochemical tests are associated with disease severity, suggesting their potential as biomarkers and therapeutic targets to improve the management of HAV infection.