title: Cytokine secretion in acute shigellosis is correlated to disease activity and directed more to stool than to plasma.
abstract: Stool and plasma cytokine levels in 60 adults with acute shigellosis were studied by EIA at various intervals (0-45 days) after onset of diarrhea. Cytokine levels correlated with severity of disease. Significantly higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines peaked at onset of disease in stool of patients with severe disease (P < .05). In contrast, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) levels, depressed at disease onset, progressively increased during the convalescent stage. Concomitantly obtained plasma cytokine levels were 100 times lower than levels in stool. Controls in Shigella-endemic areas (n = 42) had persistently significantly higher levels of IFN-gamma and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist in both stool and plasma. The lack of host defense activity against shigellosis may be linked to delayed recovery of IFN-gamma. This cytokine may play an important role in elimination of the infection and development of immunity against shigellosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Microbiology, Pathology and Infectious Diseases, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raqib
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wretlind
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lindberg
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000276:immunology; D004405:Dysentery, Bacillary / Q000276:immunology*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007372:Interferons / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007378:Interleukins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D007372:Interferons