title: Serum IL-18 and IL-18BP levels in patients with Chikungunya virus infection.
abstract: Chikungunya virus infection has recently emerged in several countries. The inflammatory response is suggested to be involved in the pathology observed in this infectious disease. Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is an inducer of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production and has been shown to play a role in several inflammatory diseases. IL-18 binding protein (IL-18BP) is a natural regulator of IL-18. In this study, we determined the levels of IL-18 and IL-18BP in patients with Chikungunya virus infection. Acute and convalescent sera were collected from each patient. The levels of both IL-18 and IL-18BP were measured by ELISA assays. IL-18 and IL-18BP levels were higher in patients than in controls. In addition, the level of IL-18 was higher in convalescent than in acute sera. However, the level of IL-18BP was lower in convalescent than in acute sera. These data suggest that production of both IL-18 and IL-18BP was induced following Chikungunya virus infection. IL-18BP was increased to regulate the activity of IL-18. The ratio of IL-18 to IL-18BP was higher in convalescent than in acute sera. The lower level of IL-18BP in convalescent sera was probably due to loss following IL-18 neutralization. Our data suggest that Chikungunya virus infection promotes the T helper-1 (Th-1) response by inducing IL-18 production. Manipulation of IL-18 and IL-18BP levels could be a promising therapeutic approach to alleviate symptoms in patients with Chikungunya virus infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Chintana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chirathaworn
authors.forename: Pornpimol
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rianthavorn
authors.forename: Norra
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wuttirattanakowit
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Poovorawan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018354:Alphavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D002646:Chikungunya virus / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D020382:Interleukin-18; C118370:interleukin-18 binding protein