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World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. May 15, 2014; 5(2): 120-121
Published online May 15, 2014. doi: 10.4291/wjgp.v5.i2.120
Published online May 15, 2014. doi: 10.4291/wjgp.v5.i2.120
Controversial issues regarding the roles of IL-10 and IFN-γ in active/inactive chronic hepatitis B
Hossein Khorramdelazad, Gholamhossein Hassanshahi, Molecular Medicine Research Center, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, 7719617996 Rafsanjan, Iran
Mohammad Kazemi Arababadi, Immunology of Infectious Disease Research Center, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, 7719617996 Rafsanjan, Iran
Author contributions: Khorramdelazad H wrote the paper; Hassanshahi G revised the paper; Arababadi MK contributed to conception and design of the letter.
Correspondence to: Dr. Mohammad Kazemi Arababadi, Immunology of Infectious Disease Research Center, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Enghelab Square, Takhti Avenue, 7719617996 Rafsanjan, Iran. dr.kazemi@rums.ac.ir
Telephone: +98-913-2926113 Fax: +98-391-5225209
Received: September 30, 2013
Revised: December 3, 2013
Accepted: April 17, 2014
Published online: May 15, 2014
Processing time: 231 Days and 18.9 Hours
Revised: December 3, 2013
Accepted: April 17, 2014
Published online: May 15, 2014
Processing time: 231 Days and 18.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: Cytokines play a central role in the induction of appropriate immune responses against hepatitis B, as well as the clinical manifestations of the disease. Dimitropoulou et al showed that serum levels of interleukin 10 and interferon-γ decreased in patients with HBeAg-negative chronic active hepatitis B compared with inactive hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers (Dimitropoulou et al, 2013) and concluded that this can lead to liver disease. However, we challenge their conclusion because we believe that inappropriate host immune responses are the main causes responsible for the clinical manifestations of the disease, but not the actual replication of the HBV particles.