Analysis of serum and cerebrospinal fluid cytokine levels in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Background Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a rare progressive inflammatory disease characterized by the persistent infection of the brain by the measles virus. However, the immunological pathophysiology of SSPE is still unclear. Methods We measured the concentrations of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and soluble TNF receptor 1 (sTNFR1) in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 23 patients with SSPE in Papua New Guinea (PNG), a country with a high incidence of SSPE, and Japanese controls by cytometric bead array or ELISA. Results The serum IL-6 and IL-10 levels of SSPE patients were significantly higher than those of controls ( p = 0.0075, and p = 0.0019, respectively). The serum IL-6 and IL-10 levels of SSPE patients with fever were significantly higher than those without fever ( p = 0.0107, and p = 0.0006, respectively). The CSF IL-6 levels of SSPE patients were significantly higher than those of controls ( p = 0.0218). The CSF IL-6 levels of SSPE patients with myoclonic jerks were significantly higher than those without myoclonic jerks ( p = 0.0189). There were no differences in serum IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2, IL-4, and sTNFR1, or CSF IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, and sTNFR1 levels between the affected patients and controls. Conclusion Our present study suggests that serum IL-6 and IL-10 levels are related to fever, and the CSF IL-6 level, myoclonic jerks, in SSPE patients in PNG.