Role of relevant immune-modulators and cytokines in hepatocellular carcinoma and premalignant hepatic lesions

Table 1 Patient characteristics

	Normal	Chronic hepatitis	Cirrhosis	HCC
Sex
Male	11 (73.3 )	9 (36.0)	19 (67.9)	19 (95.0)
Female	4 (26.7)	16 (64.0)	9 (32.1)	1 (5.0)
Age, mean ± SD	42.9 ± 10.2	49.64 ± 7.2	51.29 ± 9.03	57.1 ± 4.76
HCV	+ve	+ve	+ve	+ve
Total	15	25	28	20

Data are presented as n (%), unless otherwise specified. HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; HCV: Hepatitis C virus.

Table 2 Differential counts of nature killer cells and dendritic cells among the studied groups

	Normal	Chronic hepatitis	Cirrhosis	HCC	P value
Active mDCs (CD1C+/CD40+)	652.4 ± 15.9A1	154.1 ± 40.9B	25.5 ± 4.3C	82.8 ± 28.7BC	< 0.001
Inactive mature mDCs (CD1c+/HLA+)	627.1 ± 14.8A	134.4 ± 37.1B	54.7 ± 12.3B	121.8 ± 44.8B	< 0.001
Active pDCs (CD303+/CD40+)	782.2 ± 89.6A	237.8 ± 56.2B	164.1 ± 45.9B	251 ± 55.9B	< 0.001
Inactive mature pDCs (CD303+/HLA+)	727.5 ± 18.7A	318.5 ± 61.4A	385.7 ± 233.3A	339.2 ± 67.5A	0.339
Active NK cells (CD56+/CD161+)	535 ± 83.4AB	1166.3 ± 426.3B	399.8 ± 139.8AB	145.5 ± 30.2A	< 0.05
Inactive NK cells (CD56+/CD158+)	710.3 ± 127.9A	656.3 ± 235.7A	462.6 ± 105.3A	456.7 ± 218.1A	0.708
Active NK cells (CD56+/CD314+)	585.5 ± 35.9A	188.5 ± 69.4B	123.5 ± 47.6B	196 ± 110.8B	< 0.001

Data are presented as mean ± SEM. ¹Groups having the same letters in the same variable are statistically insignificant. HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; mDCs: Myeloid dendritic cells; NK: Natural killer; pDCs: Plasmacytoid cells.

Table 3 Levels of the studied cytokines among different studied groups

	Normal	Chronic hepatitis	Cirrhosis	HCC	P value
IL-2	22.13 ± 2.21A1	16.28 ± 2.12B	11.36 ± 0.95C	10.24 ± 0.64C	< 0.001
IL-10	74.8 1 ± 1.34A	98.46 ± 4.01AB	104.11 ± 9.35B	132.1 ± 14.26C	< 0.01
IL-12	0.06 ± 0.01A	0.09 ± 0.01A	0.15 ± 0.06A	0.08 ± 0.01A	0.393
IL-1β	3.46 ± 0.15A	6.48 ± 0.58A	6.71 ± 2.39A	21.38 ± 4.88B	< 0.001
IFN-α	31.20 ± 0.67A	32.28 ± 1.44A	21.31 ± 1.01B	18.49 ± 1.37B	< 0.001
IFN-γ	20.47 ± 0.49A	29.75 ± 0.68B	17.51 ± 1.18C	10.46 ± 0.56D	< 0.001
TNF-αR2	6.03 ± 0.07A	13.25 ± 1.73A	10.09 ± 0.97A	47.42 ± 6.74B	< 0.001

Data are presented as mean ± SEM. ¹Groups having the same letters in the same variable are statistically insignificant. HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; IFN: Interferon; IL: Interleukin; TNF: Tumor necrosis factor.

Table 4 Correlation between dendritic cell and nature killer cell count and the levels of studied cytokines in chronic active hepatitis

	IL-2	IL-12	IL-10	Active mDCs (CD1c+/CD40+)
Active NK cells (CD56+/CD161+)	r = 0.549b	r = 0.660b
	P = 0.004	P < 0.001
Active NK cells (CD56+/CD314+)	r = 0.548a			r = 0.577b
	P = 0.005			P = 0.003
Inactive NK cells (CD56+/CD158+)			r = 0.604b
			P = 0.001
Inactive mDCs (CD1c+/HLA+)			r = 0.588b
			P = 0.002

^aP < 0.05 (2-tailed);

^bP < 0.01 (2-tailed). IL: Interleukin; mDCs: Myeloid dendritic cells; NK: Natural killer.