title: [Viral infection in the neonatal period: diagnostic difficulties, the role of interferon alpha levels].
abstract: Serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) alpha interferon (aIFN) levels were determined in 31 neonates hospitalized for suspected sepsis. Final diagnosis was bacterial sepsis in 15, viral infection in 13 and no infection in 3. Among the 13 neonates with viral infection, enterovirus was isolated 5 times and coxsackievirus 4 times. No aIFN was found in cerebro-spinal fluid and/or serum among the neonates with bacterial sepsis or without infection. By contrast, in neonates with viral infection, CSF and/or serum aIFN levels were always elevated except in one case in which serum aIFN determination was not available. We conclude that in neonates, elevated levels of CSF and serum aIFN appear to be specific of viral infection, and that this might be helpful in the differential diagnosis of suspected sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Département de pédiatrie, Hôpital Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Paris, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Boissieu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Badoual
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ravilly
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lebon
mesh_terms: D003384:Coxsackievirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D029822:Enterovirus B, Human; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha
vernacular_title: Infection virale en période néonatale: difficultés diagnostiques, intérêt du dosage de l'interféron alpha.