The plasma level of cathelicidin#LL37 in p atients with chronic hepatitis C virus

 Abstract— The role undertaken by antimicrobial peptides in neutralizing immune inflammation in patients with infection remains unclear. Human cathelicidin LL37 is an antimicrobial peptide upregulated by 1,25#hydroxyvitamin D, which has not been previously studied in patients with HCV infection. The aim of our study was to evaluate the serum levels of LL37 as an anti#inflammatory factor in 46 subjects (25 HCV patients and 21 healthy controls) and to investigate the potential relationships between the LL37, 25# hydroxyvitamina D and necroinflamation in these patients. The serum concentrations of LL37 were significantly greater in patients with HCV infection by comparison with values obtained from controls (12.2405 ng/ml compared with 9.9930 ng/ml, p=0023). The highest LL37 levels were found in patients with low necroinflammatory activity (18.1426 ng/ml) and medium fibrosis (18.5578 ng/ml), compared to those recorded in controls (9.9930 ng/ml). The difference between the values found in HCV infected patients and controls was statistically significant (p=0.023). The obtained data suggests a possible involvement of LL37 in chronic immune inflammation in patients infected with HCV.