title: Envelope specific T cell responses & cytokine profiles in chikungunya patients hospitalized with different clinical presentations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Since the 2006 massive outbreaks, chikungunya (CHIK) is a major public health concern in India. The aim of this study was to assess envelope specific immune responses in patients with chikungunya infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 46 hospitalized patients with chikungunya virus infection (encephalitis, n=22, other systemic involvement, OSI, n=12, classical, n=12) and six controls from Ahmedabad city, Gujarat, India. T cell responses and the levels of Th1, pro/ anti-inflammatory cytokines against the CHIK virus envelope antigens were assessed by lymphocyte proliferation assay and by cytometric bead array in flow cytometry, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lymphoproliferative response was uniform among the patients. Comparisons of cytokines revealed significantly higher levels of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5 in encephalitis, OSI and classical patients versus controls. The levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α were higher in classical patients categories compared to the controls. Interferon (IFN)-γ levels were lower in encephalitis patients versus control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings showed recognition of T cell epitopes on the envelope region of chikungunya virus by all patient categories. Lower level of IFN-γ may be associated with the severity of disease in these patients.
authors.forename: Anuradha S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Tripathy
authors.forename: Babasaheb V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Tandale
authors.forename: Saravana S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Balaji
authors.forename: Supriya L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hundekar
authors.forename: Ashwini Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Ramdasi
authors.affiliation: Hepatitis Group, National Institute of Virology (ICMR), Pune, India.
authors.forename: Vidya A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Arankalle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D065632:Chikungunya Fever / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D002646:Chikungunya virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: C508598:IL4 protein, human; C508599:IL5 protein, human; D015848:Interleukin-5; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D015847:Interleukin-4