Serum IL-2 in chronic hepatitis B virus infected patients and its association with disease activity.

Association of serum Interleukin -2 (IL-2) levels with the activity of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) was evaluated in this study. We studied 45 subjects in the Department of Hepatology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka. They were divided into three groups. Group A consisted of 15 CHB patients with raised Alanine aminotrasferase (ALT) (> 80 iu/L), Group B consisted of 15 CHB carrier with normal ALT (< or =40 iu/L) and Group C consisted of 15 healthy subjects with normal ALT. Serum IL-2 level was measured in all groups. IL-2 level was detected in 14(93.33%) subjects in group A and 2(13.33%) subjects in group B. IL-2 level was undetectable in all the subjects in group C. The association between IL-2 level and activity of chronic hepatitis B was observed by statistical analysis (Z-test). There is significant difference between group A and group B (p<0.001) and also in group A and group C (p<0.001), but no significant difference between group B and group C (p>0.05). Our results support the observation that IL-2 level can be used as a marker of activity in CHB patients as IL-2 level was significantly detected in the patients of group A.