Elevated Serum Cytokines Are Associated with Cytomegalovirus Infection and Disease in Bone Marrow Transplant Recipients

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 179; no. 2; pp. 484 - 488
• Main Authors: Humar, A., St. Louis, P., Mazzulli, T., McGeer, A., Lipton, J., Messner, H., MacDonald, K. S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL University Chicago Press 01.02.1999; University of Chicago Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Bone marrow; Bone marrow diseases; Bone Marrow Transplantation - adverse effects; Bone Marrow Transplantation - immunology; Concise Communications; Cytokines; Cytokines - blood; Cytomegalovirus; Cytomegalovirus infections; Cytomegalovirus Infections - blood; Cytomegalovirus Infections - etiology; Cytomegalovirus Infections - immunology; Disease models; Graft vs host disease; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Interleukin-6 - blood; Interleukin-8 - blood; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Neutrophils; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Virus Activation; Human; Respiratory disease; Herpesviridae; Cytokine; Recipient; Serology; Betaherpesvirinae; Human cytomegalovirus; Infection; Virus; Interleukin 6; Bronchoalveolar lavage; Viral disease; Bone marrow; Graft; Diagnosis; Tumor necrosis factor α; Interleukin 8; Quantitative analysis
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/314602

To assess the relationship between serum cytokines and cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation, 75 allogeneic bone marrow transplant patients underwent weekly measurements of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, CMV blood cultures, and antigenemia tests. Of the patients, 44 (58.7%) developed CMV infection, and 19 (25.3%) developed clinical CMV disease. The mean maximum levels of all three cytokines were significantly increased in patients with CMV infection compared with levels in those without. Maximum levels of IL-6 were significantly higher in patients with active CMV disease than in those who did not develop CMV disease (281.2 ± 85.5 vs. 95.7 ± 15.0 pg/mL; P = .034). Levels of IL-8 and TNF-α were also elevated in patients who developed active disease. In a multivariate logistic regression model, IL-6 levels were independently associated with CMV disease (odds ratio = 1.70 per 100-pg/mL increase in IL-6; P = .009). Cytokines may play an important role in the pathogenesis of CMV after bone marrow transplantation and may be a useful predictor for CMV.