Kyung Yeon Lee1, Chang Hoon Moon2, Seong Hoon Choi3. 1. Department of Pediatrics, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: pdsnoopy@naver.com. 2. School of Life Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Republic of Korea. 3. Department of Radiology, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, Republic of Korea.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify whether there is an increase in type I interferon and proinflammatory cytokine levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of newborns with rotavirus-associated leukoencephalopathy. METHODS: Levels of type I interferons (interferon-alpha and interferon-beta) and proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 and interferon-gamma) were measured in the cerebrospinal fluid of 23 newborns with rotavirus-associated leukoencephalopathy (patient group) and 39 infants under 90 days-of-age (control group). RESULTS: Cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis was not observed in either group. Cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6 levels were significantly higher in the patient group (7.02 ± 5.88 pg/mL) than in the control group (1.14 ± 1.90 pg/mL) (p < .0001). The mean cerebrospinal fluid interferon-gamma levels of the patient group (24.43 ± 40.16 pg/mL) were also significantly higher than those of the controls group (0.0 ± 0.0 pg/mL) (p < .0001). Cerebrospinal fluid interferon-alpha was not detected in any patient (0%) from the patient group, but was detected in four (10.3%) of the controls. Interferon-beta was detected in only two patients (8.7%) from the patient group and in one (2.6%) of the controls. Cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6 levels correlated positively with the extent of white matter lesions on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (r = 0.607, p = .002). CONCLUSIONS: Significant increases in proinflammatory cytokine levels accompanied by very low detection rates of type I interferon in cerebrospinal fluid indicate that rotavirus-associated leukoencephalopathy in newborns can be correlated with central nervous system inflammatory processes without direct virus invasion into the central nervous system.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify whether there is an increase in type I interferon and proinflammatory cytokine levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of newborns with rotavirus-associated leukoencephalopathy. METHODS: Levels of type I interferons (interferon-alpha and interferon-beta) and proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 and interferon-gamma) were measured in the cerebrospinal fluid of 23 newborns with rotavirus-associated leukoencephalopathy (patient group) and 39 infants under 90 days-of-age (control group). RESULTS: Cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis was not observed in either group. Cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6 levels were significantly higher in the patient group (7.02 ± 5.88 pg/mL) than in the control group (1.14 ± 1.90 pg/mL) (p < .0001). The mean cerebrospinal fluid interferon-gamma levels of the patient group (24.43 ± 40.16 pg/mL) were also significantly higher than those of the controls group (0.0 ± 0.0 pg/mL) (p < .0001). Cerebrospinal fluid interferon-alpha was not detected in any patient (0%) from the patient group, but was detected in four (10.3%) of the controls. Interferon-beta was detected in only two patients (8.7%) from the patient group and in one (2.6%) of the controls. Cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6 levels correlated positively with the extent of white matter lesions on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (r = 0.607, p = .002). CONCLUSIONS: Significant increases in proinflammatory cytokine levels accompanied by very low detection rates of type I interferon in cerebrospinal fluid indicate that rotavirus-associated leukoencephalopathy in newborns can be correlated with central nervous system inflammatory processes without direct virus invasion into the central nervous system.