title: Proinflammatory cytokines and elastase-alpha-1-antitrypsin in Argentine hemorrhagic fever.
abstract: Argentine hemorrhagic fever (AHF) is a disease caused by Junin virus. In the acute phase, patients present hematologic and neurologic involvement with high levels of interferon-alpha and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha. Nineteen patients with a confirmed diagnosis of AHF were studied: six severe, four moderate and nine mild cases. Serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-6 soluble receptor (IL-6sR), IL-8, IL-10, and elastase-alpha1-antitrypsin complex (E-alpha 1AT) were assayed by ELISAs. Levels of IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 were high in nine, 12, and 13 patients, respectively, while levels of IL-6sR were high in two patients and low in one patient. Seven patients had increased levels of E-alpha1AT. Significant correlations were found between levels of both IL-8 and IL-10 with those of TNF-alpha as well as between IL-8 and E-alpha 1AT. These data demonstrate activation of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine pathways, and statistical analysis showed differences among the clinical forms of illness. This study shows that IL-8 plays an essential role in neutrophil activation in AHF patients as demonstrated in other infectious diseases.
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory of the Blood Transfusion Service, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Marta
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Montero
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Hack
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sturk
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Maiztegui
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Molinas
mesh_terms: D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D006478:Hemorrhagic Fever, American / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase / Q000032:analysis*; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000032:analysis*