Cytokine system of patients with chronic viral hepatitis C against the background of opiomania
The aim of the paper is to estimate the ability to produce cytokines by mononuclear leukocytes of HCV-patients with opiomania compared with those without drug using. 59 persons were examined. The test group consists of 10 healthy volunteers. 33 patients with "isolated" HCV make up the comparison group. The main group includes 16 HCV-patients which were regular intravenous opium drug abusers as well. All patients have positive PCR to HCV, undergone puncture liver biopsy with estimating both the histologic activity of hepatitis and the hepatic fi brosis, examined for the level of IFN-, TNF-, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 and IL-12. Statistical treatment of obtained data was fulfi lled with the statistical code SAS 8.0 (SAS Inc., USA). It was signifi cantly found that HCV-patients with opiomania have more depressed secretion of proinfl ammatory (IFN-, TNF-, IL-2) and antiinfl ammatory cytokines (IL-4) comparatively to patients that do not use drugs. It can be caused by additional long antigen stimulation of T-cell component of immune system.