Abstract
BACKGROUND: Due to no clinical symptoms in the compensated stage of cirrhosis, it is usually diagnosed when decompensated complications occur. In this study, the noninvasive circulating biomarkers for early detection to compensated stage of cirrhosis in patients with chronic HBV (hepatitis B virus) infection was explored. METHODS: According to the Guideline of Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B (2015 Update), 78 patients with CHB (chronic hepatitis B) were divided into mild group, moderate-to-advanced group, while 73 patients with HBV-related cirrhosis were divided into compensated group and decompensated group. Nineteen cytokines and chemokines, four serum liver fibrosis markers were measured using chemiluminescence. The expression of CCL5 in liver tissue was determined with immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The CCL5 expression level in serum increased in CHB patients with aggravated liver injury and significantly decreased in cirrhosis patients with advanced liver fibrosis. ROC analysis revealed that the serum levels of CCL5, HA and MIP-1β were effective in distinguishing patients with cirrhosis from patients with CHB, especially for CCL5. Increasing serum level of CCL5 in CHB patients was severely associated with disease progression. CONCLUSIONS: The serum levels of CCL5, HA and MIP-1β maybe used to distinguish cirrhosis from CHB patients, moreover, CCL5 was the most reliable marker. The increasing serum levels of CCL5 were significantly related to disease progression in CHB patients.