The level of cytokines TNFα, IL-6 and mRNA of the TNFA, IL6 genes in peripheral blood as a marker of transformation of liver steatosis into steatohepatitis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Data on the assessment of the cytokine level in the blood as a marker for the diagnosis and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are contradictory; the level of mRNA of their genes in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) has not been considered as such. The aim of the work was to assess the level of TNFα, IL6 in blood plasma and mRNA of the coding genes in PBL as markers of the transformation of liver steatosis (LS) into non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in NAFLD. The analysis of the levels of TNFα, IL-6 and the TNFA, IL6 genes mRNA in the blood of patients with early forms of NAFLD (LS (n=30), weak activity NASH (-WA) (n=33), F1-F2) and in the control (n=35) was carried out. The concentrations of TNFα and IL6 in the blood in LS and NASH-WA do not differ, but are elevated compared to the control. For the first time, it was shown that the levels of the TNFA and IL6 genes mRNA in PBL in NASH-WA are higher than in LS, correlate with each other and are diagnostically significant for detecting NASH among LS patients. According to the ROC analysis of the levels of blood parameters in NASH-WA patients relative to LS, AUC (TNFA mRNA) = 0.973 95%CI 0.925–1.000, p< 0.001; AUC (IL6 mRNA) = 0.769 95%CI 0.634–0.957, p = 0.005. The levels of the TNFA and IL6 genes mRNA can be considered as markers of LS transformation into NASH.

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