title: An interferon-gamma-related cytokine storm in SARS patients.
abstract: Fourteen cytokines or chemokines were analyzed on 88 RT-PCR-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients. IFN-gamma, IL-18, TGF-beta, IL-6, IP-10, MCP-1, MIG, and IL-8, but not of TNF-alpha, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-13, or TNFRI, were highly elevated in the acute phase sera of Taiwan SARS patients. IFN-gamma was significantly higher in the Ab(+) group than in the Ab(-) group. IFN-gamma, IL-18, MCP-1, MIG, and IP-10 were already elevated at early days post fever onset. Furthermore, levels of IL-18, IP-10, MIG, and MCP-1 were significantly higher in the death group than in the survival group. For the survival group, IFN-gamma and MCP-1 were inversely associated with circulating lymphocytes count and monocytes count, but positively associated with circulating neutrophils count. It is concluded that an interferon-gamma-related cytokine storm was induced post SARS coronavirus infection, and this cytokine storm might be involved in the immunopathological damage in SARS patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kao-Jean
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ih-Jen
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Theron
authors.forename: Yi-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Shu-Kuan
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Ching-Chuan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Huan-Yao
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D018925:Chemokines / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D018925:Chemokines; D016207:Cytokines; D007371:Interferon-gamma