酒精性肝病患者血浆白细胞介素-21水平及重组IL-21对LX-2肝星状细胞增殖和活化的影响

Plasma IL-21 levels in patients with alcoholic liver diseases and the effects of recombinant IL-21 on proliferation and activation of LX-2 hepatic stellate cells in vitro

目的：分析酒精性肝病患者血浆白细胞介素-21（IL-21）水平及重组IL-21体外对LX-2肝星状细胞增殖和活化的影响。方法采用ELISA法检测17例酒精性肝炎、51例酒精性肝硬化患者和20例健康人血浆IL-21水平；体外培养LX-2肝星状细胞，以IL-21（1ng/ml或10ng/ml）处理24 h或48 h，检测LX-2细胞增殖及α-平滑肌肌动蛋白表达。结果与健康对照人群比，酒精性肝炎和酒精性肝硬化患者血浆IL-21水平均显著升高（P＆lt;0.05），但酒精性肝炎和肝硬化患者之间无显著性差异，不同Child分级的肝硬化患者之间也无显著性差异；在IL-21作用24～48 h后，LX-2细胞增殖水平与对照组比无显著性差异，但α-平滑肌肌动蛋白表达均较对照组显著升高。结论血浆IL-21可能通过促进肝星状细胞活化参与了酒精性肝病患者肝纤维化的发生和发展。

Objective To evaluate plasma IL-21 levels in patients with alcoholic liver diseases and the ef-fects of recombinant IL-21 on proliferation and activation of LX-2 hepatic stellate cells in vitro. Methods The plasma levels of IL-21 in patients with alcoholic hepatitis（n=17）,patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis（n=51）,and healthy controls （n=20） were measured by ELISA;the LX-2 hepatic stellate cells were subjected to recombinant IL-21 at the concentration of 1 ng/ml or 10 ng/ml for 24 or 48 hours,then the cell proliferation and expression of α-smooth muscle actin were determined by CCK-8 and by FACs,respectively. Results Plasma levels of IL-21 were significantly elevated in patients with alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis as compared to that in healthy controls （P＆lt;0.05）,however,no significant difference was observed between patients with alcoholic hepatitis and patients with alcoholic cirrhosis,and no significant difference was found among cirrhotic patients with different Child class either;Incubation of LX-2 hepatic stellate cells with IL-21 at 1 ng/ml or 10 ng/ml for 24 or 48 hours did not affect cell proliferation,but significantly increased the expression of α-smooth muscle actin in the cells （P＆lt;0.05）. Conclusion IL-21 might contribute to the fibrogenesis in alcoholic liver diseases though induction of activation of hepatic stellate cells.