• RAPID COMMUNICATION•

AIM: To evaluate whether the cytokine responses in liver and serum differ in chronic hepatitis C patients with normal and high alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels. METHODS: Th i r ty- th ree (16 w i th norma l ALT level as group 1 and 17 with elevated ALT level as group 2) patients infected with genotype 1b hepatitis C v irus (HCV) were examined. L iver inf i l t rat ing lymphomononuclear cells (LILMCs) were isolated from liver biopsy by collagenase type 1 and stimulated with phytohemagglutinin and interleukin 2 (IL-2). IL-10, IL-12, interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were determined in serum and LILMCs by ELISA. RESULTS: Serum cytokine levels were similar in bot