Coronavirus Infections in the Central Nervous System and Respiratory Tract Show Distinct Features in Hospitalized Children

• Published in: Intervirology Vol. 59; no. 3; pp. 163 - 169
• Main Authors: Li, Yuanyuan, Li, Haipeng, Fan, Ruyan, Wen, Bo, Zhang, Jian, Cao, Xiaoying, Wang, Chengwu, Song, Zhanyi, Li, Shuochi, Li, Xiaojie, Lv, Xinjun, Qu, Xiaowang, Huang, Renbin, Liu, Wenpei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland S. Karger AG 01.01.2016
• Subjects: Adolescent; Central Nervous System Viral Diseases - diagnosis; Central Nervous System Viral Diseases - epidemiology; Central Nervous System Viral Diseases - immunology; Chemokine CCL2 - blood; Chemokine CCL2 - cerebrospinal fluid; Child; Child, Hospitalized; Child, Preschool; China - epidemiology; Coronavirus - immunology; Coronavirus Infections - diagnosis; Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology; Coronavirus Infections - immunology; Cytokines - blood; Cytokines - cerebrospinal fluid; Cytokines - immunology; Disease Progression; Female; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor - blood; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor - cerebrospinal fluid; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - blood; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - cerebrospinal fluid; Humans; Immunoglobulin M - blood; Immunoglobulin M - cerebrospinal fluid; Infant; Interleukin-6 - blood; Interleukin-6 - cerebrospinal fluid; Interleukin-8 - blood; Interleukin-8 - cerebrospinal fluid; Male; Original Paper; Respiratory Tract Infections - diagnosis; Respiratory Tract Infections - epidemiology; Respiratory Tract Infections - immunology; Respiratory tract; Coronavirus; Central nervous system; Cytokine
• ISSN: 0300-5526; 1423-0100; 1423-0100
• DOI: 10.1159/000453066

Background/Aims: Coronavirus (CoV) infections induce respiratory tract illnesses and central nervous system (CNS) diseases. We aimed to explore the cytokine expression profiles in hospitalized children with CoV-CNS and CoV-respiratory tract infections. Methods: A total of 183 and 236 hospitalized children with acute encephalitis-like syndrome and respiratory tract infection, respectively, were screened for anti-CoV IgM antibodies. The expression profiles of multiple cytokines were determined in CoV-positive patients. Results: Anti-CoV IgM antibodies were detected in 22/183 (12.02%) and 26/236 (11.02%) patients with acute encephalitis-like syndrome and respiratory tract infection, respectively. Cytokine analysis revealed that the level of serum granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was significantly higher in both CoV-CNS and CoV-respiratory tract infection compared with healthy controls. Additionally, the serum level of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was significantly higher in CoV-CNS infection than in CoV-respiratory tract infection. In patients with CoV-CNS infection, the levels of IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, and GM-CSF were significantly higher in their cerebrospinal fluid samples than in matched serum samples. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report showing a high incidence of CoV infection in hospitalized children, especially with CNS illness. The characteristic cytokine expression profiles in CoV infection indicate the importance of host immune response in disease progression.