title: Correlation of cytokine level with the severity of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome.
abstract: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) was an emerging hemorrhagic fever that was caused by a tick-borne bunyavirus, SFTSV. Although SFTSV nonstructural protein can inhibit type I interferon (IFN-I) production Ex Vivo and IFN-I played key role in resistance SFTSV infection in animal model, the role of IFN-I in patients is not investigated.
  
  
  
  We have assayed the concentration of IFN-α, a subtype of IFN-I as well as other cytokines in the sera of SFTS patients and the healthy population with CBA (Cytometric bead array) assay.
  
  
  
  The results showed that IFN-α, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP-1α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10, interferon-inducible protein (IP-10), monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) were significantly higher in SFTS patients than in healthy persons (p < 0.05); the concentrations of IFN-α, IFN-γ, G-CSF, MIP-1α, IL-6, and IP-10 were significant higher in severe SFTS patients than in mild SFTS patients (p < 0.05).
  
  
  
  The concentration of IFN-α as well as other cytokines (IFN-γ, G-CSF, MIP-1α, IL-6, and IP-10) is correlated with the severity of SFTS, suggesting that type I interferon may not be significant in resistance SFTSV infection in humans and it may play an import role in cytokine storm.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
authors.forename: Miao-Miao
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Ying
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: School of Health Professions, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555-0609, USA.
authors.forename: Jian-Zhi
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China. xuyu@utmb.edu.|Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555-0609, USA. xuyu@utmb.edu.
authors.forename: Xue-Jie
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002044:Bunyaviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D060467:Disease Resistance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016856:Phlebovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines
keywords: Cytokine storm; Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS)