RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore a possible association between the pattern of serum cytokines with the virological and biochemical status of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-seropositive blood donors. METHODS: 23 non-viremic and 33 viremic HCV-seropositive blood donors based on HCV-RNA tests, and 29 healthy individuals were included. Cytometric bead array assays were performed to detect cytokines. RESULTS: The subjects were classified as low, medium or high cytokine producers based on the tertile distribution. The absence of detectable viremia was associated with high IL-1ß and IL-8 producers. Conversely, elevated levels of IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12 were associated with detectable viremia. An increased frequency of high IL-1ß producers was observed frequently in the non-viremic recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA)-indeterminate subjects, while the high IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and IL-12 producers were more frequent in the non-viremic RIBA-positive subjects. Furthermore, the levels of IL-1ß and IL-8 were higher in viremic subjects with a low level of alanine-aminotransferase (ALT), whereas the level of IFN-γ was increased among viremic subjects with a high ALT level. CONCLUSION: IL-1ß and IL-8 were more likely to be associated with a non-viremic or less severe HCV infection, whereas IL-2 and IFN-γ levels correlated with a high ALT level.