13 research outputs found
Peripheral blood mononuclear cell phenotype characteristics in different study groups before antiviral treatment.
<p>The distribution of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets was similar between study groups. Absolute monocyte count was significantly increased in rapid virological responders compared to early and non-responder patients. Results are expressed as mean±SE.</p>*<p>p<0,05.</p
The effect of PEG-IFN plus ribavirin treatment on Th1/Th2 cytokine production by PMA/Ionomycin stimulated PBMC.
<p>a. IFN-γ production was significantly increased in complete early virological responders during antiviral treatment compared to pretreatment levels and also to null-responders. b. After 4 and 12 weeks of antiviral treatment, a transient increase in IL-2 production was observed in all study groups. c. PEG-IFN plus RBV resulted in decreased IL-6 production in both rapid and complete early virological responders, had a transient effect in null-responders. d. After 24 weeks of treatment, significantly decreased TNF-α production was found in complete early virological responders. e. f. While PEG-IFN/RBV treatment significantly decreased IL-4 and IL-10 levels in complete early virological responders, null-responders showed significantly increased IL-10 production at week 12 or 24. (*p<0,05; **p<0,01).</p
The effect of PEG-IFN plus ribavirin treatment on TNF-α and IL-6 production by TLR-4 stimulated monocytes.
<p>After 12 weeks of PEG-IFN plus RBV treatment, the proinflammatory cytokine production of TLR-4 stimulated monocytes was significantly increased in complete early virological responders compared to null-responder patients. Furthermore, proinflammatory cytokine levels showed no changes and remained low in null-responders throughout antiviral therapy. In contrast to cEVR in RVR patients, proinflammatory cytokine production by monocytes was significantly decreased after 4 weeks of treatment (*p<0,05; **p<0,01 compared to baseline values).</p
Th2 cytokine production by PMA/Ionomycin stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
<p>Prior to therapy, IL-4 and IL-10 production was significantly lower in patients who had subsequent rapid viral decline after 4 weeks of treatment compared to non-SVR group. Baseline Th2 cytokine production did not differ between complete early responders and null-responders (Fig. 4a,b). SVR patients associated with significantly lower baseline IL-10 production compared to non-SVR patients (Fig. 4d).</p
Pretreatment proinflammatory cytokine production by Toll-like receptor 4 stimulated monocytes.
<p>Prior to antiviral treatment, TLR-4 agonist induced TNF-α and IL-6 production by peripheral blood monocytes was significantly higher in later rapid virological responder CHC patients (RVR n = 14) compared to complete early virological responders (cEVR n = 19), null-responders (NR n = 17) or healthy controls (HC n = 20) (Fig. 1a,b). Baseline TLR-4 agonist induced proinflammatory cytokine production was similar in cEVR and NR groups. Sustained virological responders (SVR) had significantly higher baseline TNF-α production compared to patients without SVR (non-SVR).</p
Patients’ baseline characteristics.
<p>Baseline HCV RNA levels were significantly lower in rapid virological responders (RVR) compared to complete early virological responders (cEVR) and null-responders (NR). Pretreatment histology and ALT did not differ significantly between study groups. Results are expressed as mean±SE (*p<0,05; **p<0,01).</p><p>(SVR = sustained virological response, BMI = body mass index, HAI = Knodell histological activity index, ALT = alanine amino transferase).</p
Logistic regression: Predictive factors for severe bacterial infection in patients with liver cirrhosis.
<p>The coefficient is equivalent to the natural log of the OR; <i>p</i> value: level of significance;</p><p>OR: odds ratio; 95% CI: 95% confidence interval.</p
Summary of Cox model: factors affecting time to first severe bacterial infection.
<p><i>p</i> value: level of significance; 95% CI: 95% confidence interval.</p
Anti-microbial serological markers in cirrhotic patients according to the absence or presence of ascites.
<p>*<i>p</i><0.01,</p>#<p><i>p</i><0.001 between cirrhotic patients with or without ascites by χ<sup>2</sup>-test with Yates correction and linear-by-linear association for serological responses.</p
Anti-microbial antibody levels in patients with cirrhosis with various levels of severity, as depicted either by Child-Pugh stages (A) or MELD score (B).
<p><b>A</b>. Individual values are shown by black spots. Mean values with standard error bars are indicated in blue. Cut-off values for positivity are 25 Units for all antibodies. <i>P</i><0.001 between all groups by ANOVA post hoc Scheffe for ASCA IgA and anti-OMP Plus™ IgA <i>P = NS</i> for ASCA IgG. <b>B</b>. MELD Q1-Q4 represent the groups of patients broken down by quartile: quartile1 patients have the lowest severity up to quartile4, representing patients with the highest level of severity. <i>P</i><0.001 between all groups by ANOVA post hoc Scheffe for ASCA IgA and anti-OMP Plus™ IgA <i>P = NS</i> for ASCA IgG.</p