Procalcitonin, and cytokines document a dynamic inflammatory state in non-infected cirrhotic patients with ascites

Table 3 Serum and ascitic fluid levels of inflammatory markers in the 88 patients studied

	Ascites Group 1			Non-ascitic Group 2	Control		P value
	Serum	Ascitic fluid	P value	Serum	NPP	P value	Group 1 (serum) vs Group 2	Group 1 (serum) vs NPP
IL-1A (ng/mL)	0.21 ± 0.08	0.21 ± 0.04	NS	0.17 ± 0.07	0.09 ± 0.01	NS	NS	< 0.05
IL-1B (ng/mL)	6.15 ± 2.83	3.10 ± 0.48	NS	3.56 ± 1.11	2.38 ± 0.62	NS	NS	< 0.05
IL-2 (ng/mL)	5.61 ± 3.49	1.31 ± 0.35	< 0.05	0.96 ± 0.01	1.01 ± 0.40	NS	< 0.05	< 0.05
IL-4 (ng/mL)	2.51 ± 0.79	9.48 ± 1.21	< 0.05	1.25 ± 0.07	1.21 ± 0.39	NS	< 0.05	< 0.05
IL-6 (ng/mL)	94.43 ± 29.58	1240.5 ± 365.64	< 0.05	7.27 ± 1.93	0.64 ± 0.16	< 0.05	< 0.05	< 0.05
IL-8 (ng/mL)	111.83 ± 37.01	335.08 ± 60.0	< 0.05	50.19 ± 18.84	2.22 ± 0.79	< 0.05	< 0.05	< 0.05
IL-10 (ng/mL)	1.47 ± 0.31	57.15 ± 22.32	< 0.05	0.95 ± 0.23	0.62 ± 0.08	< 0.05	NS	< 0.05
MCP-1 (ng/mL)	141.23 ± 23.39	456.35 ± 42.03	< 0.05	200.69 ± 18.19	57.11 ± 12.59	< 0.05	< 0.05	< 0.05
TNF-α (ng/mL)	5.26 ± 1.18	26.32 ± 7.13	< 0.05	9.89 ± 3.54	1.61 ± 0.80	< 0.05	NS	< 0.05
IFNγ (ng/mL)	1.08 ± 0.38	1.61 ± 0.41	NS	0.51 ± 0.04	0.47 ± 0.34	NS	< 0.05	NS
VEGF (ng/mL)	38.31 ± 18.73	234.82 ± 103.11		55.94 ± 11.37	7.14 ± 4.06		NS	< 0.05
EGF (ng/mL)	72.42 ± 14.95	1.78 ± 0.36		45.70 ± 7.38	3.12 ± 0.99		< 0.05	< 0.05

Data given as mean ± SE. IL: Interleukin; MCP: Monocyte chemotactic protein; TNF: Tumor necrosis factor alpha; IFN: Interferon gamma; VEGF: Vascular endothelial growth factor; EGF: Epidermal growth factor; NPP: Normal plasma panel; NS: Non-significant.