Cytokine profiles in patients with Q fever fatigue syndrome
Journal of Infection, 2019
Raijmakers R., Koeken V., Jansen A., Keijmel S., Roerink M., Joosten L., Netea M., van der Meer J., Bleeker-Rovers C.
| Disease area | Application area | Sample type | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
Infectious Diseases | Pathophysiology | Serum |  Olink Target 96 |
Abstract
Background:
Q fever fatigue syndrome (QFS) is a state of prolonged fatigue following around 20% of acute Q fever cases. It is thought that chronic inflammation plays a role in its aetiology. To test this hypothesis we measured circulating cytokines and the exvivo cytokine production in patients with QFS and compared to various control groups.
Materials/methods:
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), whole blood, and serum were collected from 20 QFS patients, 19 chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients, 19 Q fever seropositive controls, and 25 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Coxiella-specific ex-vivo production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and interferon (IFN) was measured, together with a total of 92 circulating inflammatory proteins.
Results:
PBMCs of QFS patients produced more IL-6 ( = 0.0001), TNFα (P = 0.0002), and IL-1β (P = 0.0005) than the various control groups when stimulated with Coxiella antigen. QFS patients had distinct differences in circulating inflammatory markers compared to the other groups, including higher concentrations of circulating IL-6 and IFNγ.
Conclusion:
QFS patients showed signs of chronic inflammation compared to asymptomatic Q fever seropositive controls, CFS patients, and healthy controls, of which the monocyte-derived cytokines TNFα, IL-1β, and especially IL-6, are likely crucial components.