Concurrent measurement of dynamic changes in viral load, serum enzymes, T cell subsets, and cytokines in patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome

PLoS One. 2014 Mar 21;9(3):e91679. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091679. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infection caused by a novel Bunyavirus. Analysis on the dynamic changes of clinical, laboratory, and immunological abnormalities associated with SFTS in a concurrent study is lacking. Thirty-three SFTS patients were admitted to Jiangsu People's Hospital, Nanjing, China, and diagnosis was made based on the clinical symptoms and positive viral RNA detected by RT-PCR. Four patients deceased and twenty-nine survived. Blood samples were collected every other day between Day 5 and Day 15 from the onset of fever. Samples from healthy volunteers were used as normal controls. Peak viral RNA load, serum enzymes, IL-6, and IL-10 were significantly higher in deceased patients compared to survivors. Viral load, serum enzymes, and cytokines declined in survivors within 2 weeks from onset of fever. CD69+ T cells were elevated early after infection while HLA-DR+ and CTLA4+ T cells were elevated during the recovery phase of those who survived. High level SFTSV viral load was concurrently observed with reduced PLT, elevated serum enzymes, elevated pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and activation of CD69+ T cells. The degree and pattern of changes in these parameters may indicate the clinical outcome in SFTSV-infected patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bunyaviridae Infections / complications
  • Bunyaviridae Infections / immunology*
  • Bunyaviridae Infections / virology
  • China
  • Cytokines / blood
  • Enzymes / blood
  • Female
  • Fever / complications
  • Fever / immunology*
  • Fever / virology
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-10 / blood
  • Interleukin-6 / blood
  • Lymphocyte Count
  • Male
  • RNA, Viral / isolation & purification
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets
  • Thrombocytopenia / complications
  • Thrombocytopenia / immunology*
  • Thrombocytopenia / virology
  • Viral Load

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Enzymes
  • Interleukin-6
  • RNA, Viral
  • Interleukin-10