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Abstract
Background: Chronic hepatitis C infection and cirrhosis have slowly progressive course and accompanied by liver inflammation and fibrosis. Increased serum neopterin level has been detected in patients having Chronic hepatitis C disease. Neopterin is produced by monocytes/macrophages when activated by interferon-gamma secreted from T lymphocytes as a part of body immune response against hepatitis C viral infection.
Objectives: To assess the changes in the serum neopterin level in Egyptian patients having chronic liver disease due to hepatitis C virus infection and cirrhosis , and to correlate the neopterin levels with changes in the laboratory parameters and pathological stages of liver disease .
Methods : 85 subjects were included; 40 patients having chronic hepatitis C as group I , 30 patients having cirrhosis as group II and a control group included 15 healthy subjects as group III .
Results : Serum neopterin level was higher in patients with chronic hepatitis C disease and in patients with liver cirrhosis compared to healthy individuals. Also liver cirrhosis patients had higher serum neopterin level than patients with chronic hepatitis C disease.
Conclusion : A correlation was found between serum neopterin level and severity of chronic hepatitis C and cirrhosis .