CD[14.sup.+] monocytes and CD[163.sup.+] macrophages correlate with the severity of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C

• Published in: Experimental and therapeutic medicine Vol. 20; no. 6
• Main Authors: Zhao, Su-Xian, Li, Wen-Cong, Fu, Na, Kong, Ling-Bo, Zhang, Qing-Shan, Han, Fang, Ren, Wei-Guang, Cui, Po, Du, Jing- Hua, Wang, Bao-Yu, Zhang, Yu-Guo, Wang, Rong-Qi, Kong, Li, Nan, Yue-Min
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Spandidos Publications 01.12.2020
• Subjects: Diagnosis; Fibrosis; Health aspects; Hepatitis C; Liver diseases; Macrophages; Monocytes; China
• ISSN: 1792-0981
• DOI: 10.3892/etm.2020.9358

Hepatic fibrosis is a crucial pathological process involved in the development of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and may progress to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Activated peripheral blood monocytes and intrahepatic macrophages further promote hepatic fibrogenesis by releasing proinflammatory and profibrogenic cytokines. The present study aimed to investigate the role of peripheral CD[14.sup.+] monocytes and intrahepatic CD[163.sup.+] macrophages in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated liver fibrosis and clarify whether serum soluble CD163 (sCD163) may serve as a fibrosis marker in patients with CHC. A total of 87 patients with CHC and 20 healthy controls were recruited. Serum sCD163 levels were measured by ELISA. Frequencies of peripheral CD[14.sup.+] monocytes and inflammatory cytokines expressed by CD[14.sup.+] monocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry. The degree of fibrosis in human liver biopsies was graded using the Metavir scoring system and patients were stratified into two groups based on those results (F<2 vs. F[greater than or equal to]2). Hepatic expression of CD163 was examined by immunohistochemical staining. The diagnostic values of sCD163, aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis 4 score (FIB-4) and the aspartate aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase ratio (AAR) in significant fibrosis (F[greater than or equal to]2) were evaluated and compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The results indicated that the serum sCD163 levels and the frequency of CD[14.sup.+] monocytes were significantly higher in the patients than that in the controls and positively correlated with liver fibrosis. The level of serum sCD163 was consistent with hepatic CD163 expression in the liver sections from patients. The frequencies of interleukin (IL)-8- and tumor necrosis factor-a-expressing monocytes were increased and that of IL-10-expressing monocytes was decreased in the patients. The area under the ROC curve (AUROC) for sCD163, APRI, FIB-4 and AAR was 0.876, 0.785, 0.825 and 0.488, respectively, and the AUROC for sCD163 was significantly higher than those for APRI and AAR. In conclusion, sCD163 may serve as a novel marker for assessing the degree of liver fibrosis in HCV-infected patients. Key words: hepatitis C virus, liver fibrosis, CD14, CD163, soluble CD163