title: Immune cell activation in melioidosis: increased serum levels of interferon-gamma and soluble interleukin-2 receptors without change in soluble CD8 protein.
abstract: To evaluate immune cell activation in patients with melioidosis, serum samples were assayed for interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), soluble interleukin-2 receptors (sIL-2R), and soluble CD8 protein (sCD8). Forty patients with sepsis (23 fatal cases, 17 survivors) and 13 with localized disease were studied during acute illness; 12 additional patients were studied after discharge while on maintenance antimicrobial therapy. Serum concentrations of IFN-gamma and sIL-2R were greatly elevated, but sCD8 concentrations were not. These levels increased with disease severity and were associated with fatal outcomes. Macrophage activation by high concentrations of the cytokine IFN-gamma may contribute to pathophysiology and death in septicemic patients. Both IFN-gamma and sIL-2R seem to be predictive of outcome in patients with severe melioidosis and may prove useful in detection of relapse.
authors.affiliation: Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Dance
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suputtamongkol
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chaowagul
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kongchareon
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood*; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000097:blood*; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood*; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D008554:Melioidosis / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D007371:Interferon-gamma