Profiles and predictive value of cytokines in children with human metapneumovirus pneumonia

• Published in: Virology journal 2022-12, Vol.19 (1), p.214-8, Article 214
• Main Authors: Xiang, Wen-Qing, Li, Lin, Wang, Bing-Han, Ali, Ahmed Faisal, Li, Wei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomarkers; Care and treatment; Child; Children; Cytokines; Diagnosis; Disease; Flow cytometry; Health aspects; Human metapneumovirus; Humans; Immune response; Immunofluorescence; Infections; Inflammation; Influenza; Influenza B virus; Innate immunity; Interleukin 10; Interleukin 2; Interleukin 4; Interleukin 6; Lymphocytes T; Metapneumovirus; Paramyxoviridae Infections; Pediatrics; Pneumonia; Pneumonia in children; Pneumonia, Viral; Predictive value; Respiratory tract diseases; Respiratory Tract Infections - virology; Retrospective Studies; Risk factors; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Tumor necrosis factor-α; Viruses; γ-Interferon
• ISSN: 1743-422X; 1743-422X
• DOI: 10.1186/s12985-022-01949-1

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is an important cause of respiratory tract infections in young children. Early innate immune response to HMPV is focused on induction of antiviral interferons (IFNs) and other pro-inflammatory cytokines that are critical for the formation of adaptive immune responses. To evaluate the predictive value of Th1/Th2 cytokines which include IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, INF-γ and TNF-α in pneumonia caused by HMPV. A retrospective study was performed among 59 pneumonia pediatric patients with HMPV infection and 33 healthy children as the control cohort, which was detected by the immunofluorescence assay, and the Th1/Th2 cytokines were measured by flow cytometry. 131 children infected with Influenza virus A (IVA) and 41 children infected with influenza virus B (IVB) were detected by RT-PCR assay in throat swabs. When compared with the healthy children, children who were infected with HMPV pneumonia had a significantly lower level of IL-2 (p