Plasma levels of growth‐related oncogene (CXCL1‐3) associated with fibrosis and platelet counts in HCV‐infected patients. Issue 9 (28th August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Johansson, S.; Talloen, W.; Tuefferd, M.; Darling, J. M.; Scholliers, A.; Fanning, G.; Fried, M. W.; Aerssens, J.
• Is Part Of: Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics. Volume 42:Issue 9(2015)
• Page Start: 1111
• Page End: 1121
• Publication Date: 2015-08-28
• Subjects: Digestive organs -- Diseases -- Treatment -- Periodicals; Digestive organs -- Effect of drugs on -- Periodicals; Gastrointestinal system -- Diseases -- Treatment -- Periodicals; Gastrointestinal system -- Effect of drugs on -- Periodicals; 615.73
• DOI: 10.1111/apt.13389
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-2813

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="apt13389-abs-0001"> <title>Summary</title> <sec id="apt13389-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>Fibrosis progression in hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐infected patients varies greatly between individuals. Chemokines recruit immune cells to the infected liver and may thus play a role in the fibrosis process.</p> </sec> <sec id="apt13389-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Aim</title> <p>To investigate plasma levels of a diverse chemokine panel in relation to liver fibrosis.</p> </sec> <sec id="apt13389-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>African‐American and Caucasian HCV genotype 1 infected patients were treated with peginterferon (pegIFN) and ribavirin (RBV) for 48 weeks (VIRAHEP‐C cohort). Plasma levels of 13 cytokines were studied at baseline (<italic>n</italic> = 386). Subsequently, GROα levels were assessed in a sub cohort (<italic>n</italic> = 99) at baseline, and at 4 and 12 weeks after start of pegIFN/RBV treatment.</p> </sec> <sec id="apt13389-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Increased severity of fibrosis (Ishak fibrosis score 0–2 vs. 3–6) was associated with increased plasma IP‐10 (CXCL10) and IL‐8 (CXCL8) levels, and decreased plasma levels of the chemokine growth‐related oncogene (GRO, CXCL1‐3). Plasma GRO levels were also positively correlated with platelet counts, and were higher in African‐American as compared to Caucasian patients. In response to pegIFN/RBV treatment, GROα levels increased in Caucasian but not African‐American patients from week 4 onwards.</p> </sec> <sec id="apt13389-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>The association with severity of fibrosis and platelet count positions plasma GRO as a potential biomarker for liver fibrosis in HCV‐infected patients. The secretion of GRO by platelets may explain the correlation between GRO plasma level and platelet count. The ethnic difference in GRO levels both pre‐treatment and in response to pegIFN/RBV might be driven by a genetic polymorphism in GROα associated with higher plasma levels and more common in the African‐American population.</p> </sec> </abstract>