Jpn. J. Infect. Dis., 58, 107-109, 2005

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Short Communication

Serum Neopterin Levels in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B

Ahmet Kalkan, Mehmet Ozden1* and Handan Akbulut1

Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases and 1Department of Immunology, Firat University Faculty of Medicine, Elazig, Turkey

(Received October 21, 2004. Accepted January 4, 2004)


*Corresponding author: Mailing address: Department of Immunology, Firat University Faculty of Medicine, TR-23119 Elazig, Turkey. Tel: +90-424-233-3555, Fax: +90-424-238 7688, E-mail: ozdenm44@hotmail.com


SUMMARY: The aim of this study was to determine the neopterin levels and peripheral blood lymphocyte subgroups in HBeAg-positive and -negative chronic hepatitis B patients. A total of 89 patients were included in the study. The mean serum neopterin level of patients with chronic hepatitis B was significantly higher than that of the control group. In HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients, the mean serum neopterin level was significantly higher than that of anti-HBeAb-positive patients. There was no significant correlation between the serum neopterin levels and alanine aminotransferase and HBV-DNA levels in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients. There were no significant differences between the control subjects and patients with HBeAg-positive or anti-HBeAb-positive hepatitis in terms of the percentage of peripheral blood CD4+ or CD8+ or the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ lymphocytes. Our results suggest an association between elevated neopterin concentrations and HBeAg-positivity in patients with chronic hepatitis B. However, there appears to be no association between the neopterin levels and either hepatocyte damage or viral replication status.


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