Aim of the study:

Alcohol is one of the leading causes of liver hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. Both medical conditions are defined by a combination of specific symptoms whose interaction allows for a diagnosis with reasonable precision. This study aimed to differentiate between acute alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis at the molecular level.

Material and methods:

This report analyzed changes in levels of vitamin D₃, tumor necrosis factor a (TNF-a), interleukin (IL)-1b, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, and adiponectin determined using a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay and Luminex xMap technology. The study population consisted of 42 male patients with acute alcoholic hepatitis and 50 male patients with alcoholic cirrhosis.

Results:

The result revealed a statistically significant difference in TNF-a, IL-8, and IL-12 between acute alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis. It also revealed distinct correlation patterns that differentiate acute alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis. A network of significant cross-correlations between the cytokines studied defines alcoholic cirrhosis.

Conclusions:

This report revealed that the studied medical conditions can be differentiated by specific levels of cytokines and by cross-correlation between cytokines.