Abstract:

Objective
 To investigate the changes of Th1/Th2 cytokines levels in serum in patients with  chronic hepatitis B patients befroe and after treatment of thymosin,and clarify the relationship with state of illness,curative effect and virological response.
Methods 19  patients with chronic active hepatitis B were chosen as treatment group, 10 cases as normal control group.The patients in  treatment group were treated with  injection of thymosin α 1 mL,in the pre-treatment,13 and 21 weeks after treatment the cytokine levels,HBV DNA,and biochemical indicators of liver function were detected by flow cytomertry on Tuesday,Friday every week;in normal control group the  serum IL-2,IFN,TNF,IL-4,IL-6,IL-10 indicators were determined and the relationship between  cytokine levels and biochemical responses and  virological response was analyzed.Results  After thymosin treatment,the cytokine levels secreted by Th cells were increased compared with  pre-treatment (P<0.05), the levels of Th1 cytokines (IL-2,IFN,TNF) in reponse group were higher than those in non-response group, the levels of Th2 cytokines (IL-4,IL-6,IL-10) in non-response group were higher than  those in response group (P< 0.05).According to  biochemical response  analysis,the cytokine levels in patients could reflect the curative effect, the cytokine levels in  response group were lower than those in partial response group,the cytokine levels in  part  response group were lower than those in non-response group,the cytokine levels in response group  were lower than those in non-response group,the increase of cytokine levels had negative correlation with curative effect of virological response  (P<0.05).
Conclusion The changes of the levels of serum Thl/Th2 cytokines  in patients with  chronic hepatitis B after treatment of thymosin may  contribute to the removal of  HBVDNA in body.

Key words: thymosin;hepatitis B;cytokines