Changes in Cytokine Levels in Patients with Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus

Abstract

Purpose: To characterize the cytokine profile of patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in relation to disease severity. Patients and Methods: 60 laboratory-confirmed SFTS patients and 12 healthy individuals from multi-centers in Shandong Province of China were included, and all patients were divided into fatal patients (9) and recovered patients (51) due to their final outcomes. Multiplex-microbead immunoassays were conducted to estimate levels of 27 cytokines in the sera of patients and controls. Results: The results showed that levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-15, IL-1RA, G-CSF, GM-CSF, IFN-γ, TNF-α, basic FGF, PDGF-BB, RANTES, IP-10, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, MCP-1, and Eotaxin differed significantly among the SFTS fatal patients, recovered patients, and the healthy controls (all p<0.05). Compared to the healthy controls, the fatal patients and recovered patients had reduced levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, PDGF-BB, RANTES, and Eotaxin, while the levels of PDGF-BB and RANTES were significantly lower in fatal patients compared to recovered patients. The increasing levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-15, IL-1RA, G-CSF, GM-CSF, IFN-γ, TNF-α, basic FGF, IP-10, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, and MCP-1 were observed in fatal patients (all p<0.05), and the levels of IL-6, IP-10, MIP-1α, and MCP-1 were significantly higher than other two groups. The Spearman correlation analysis indicated a positive correlation between platelet count and PDGF-BB levels (p<0.05), while the white blood cell count had a negative correlation with MIP-1 level (p<0.05). Conclusion: The research exhibited that the SFTS virus (SFTSV) caused an atypical manifestation of cytokines. The levels of IL-6, IP-10, MIP-1α, and MCP-1 had been observed a positive association with the severity of the illness.