IL-18 serum concentration is markedly elevated in acute EBV infection and can serve as a marker for disease severity.
Epstein Barr virus (EBV)-related diseases encompass both acute infections that result in acute infectious mononucleosis and chronic infections that result in lymphoproliferative malignant diseases. While classical inflammatory parameters such as C-reactive protein (CRP) have proven their usefulness during bacterial and fungal infections, they are often low and nondiscriminatory in viral infections. Here, we show that IL-18 is markedly elevated during acute EBV infections and EBV-associated diseases, while ferritin concentrations are also elevated during acute EBV infection and correlate with IL-18. Therefore, IL-18 and ferritin may represent infection markers for viral infections such as EBV, similar to CRP for bacterial infections.
Department of Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, and Nijmegen Institute for Infection, Inflammation and Immunity (N4i), Nijmegen, The Netherlands. F.veerdonk@aig.umcn.nl
Frank L
FL
van de Veerdonk
Peter C
PC
Wever
Mirjam H A
MH
Hermans
Rob
R
Fijnheer
Leo A B
LA
Joosten
Jos W M
JW
van der Meer
Mihai G
MG
Netea
Peter M
PM
Schneeberger
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002213:Capsid / Q000276:immunology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D015415:Biomarkers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D020382:Interleukin-18; D005293:Ferritins