Increased level of interferon-alpha in blood of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: relationship with coxsackievirus B infection.
The activation of the interferon (IFN)-alpha system and its relationship with coxsackievirus B (CVB) infection has been analyzed in 56 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM; 25 children and 31 adults). Elevated levels of IFN-alpha were found in plasma of 70% of patients (39/56), and a positive detection of IFN-alpha mRNA in blood cells by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was observed in 75% of patients (42/56). Enterovirus (EV) RNA assayed by seminested RT-PCR was detected in the blood of 50% of IFN-alpha-positive patients but not in any IFN-alpha-negative patients. The results of genotype analysis of amplified EV RNA sequences (5 CVB2, 8 CVB3, and 8 CVB4) were concordant with the results of CVB-neutralization tests. The comparison between IFN-alpha, EV RNA, and serology suggested that the proportion of CVB infection associated with IFN-alpha positivity might be higher than is predicted from the investigation of EV RNA. Together, the results suggest that, in a majority of cases, a CVB infection is associated with clinical IDDM.
Chehadeh
W
W
Laboratoire de Virologie, Institut Gernez-Rieux, Lille, France.
Weill
J
J
Vantyghem
M C
MC
Alm
G
G
Lefèbvre
J
J
Wattré
P
P
Hober
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003384:Coxsackievirus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology; D029822:Enterovirus B, Human; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood
D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral