Research Article - Biomedical Research (2017) Volume 28, Issue 20

Detection of serum immune factors in children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) and the clinical significance

Objective: To detect serum immune factors in children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD), and to explore the clinical significance.

Methods: A total of 28 severe hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) patients with enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection, 37 mild HFMD patients with EV71 infection, and 23 mild HFMD patients with coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16) infection were selected from January 2015 to January 2017 in XX hospital. At the same time, 25 healthy people were also selected as control. Non-anticoagulated venous blood (2 mL) was collected from each patient before treatment, 3 days after the beginning of treatment, and on the day of discharge. Serum levels of IgM, TNF-α, INF-γ, IL-8, IL-12 and IL-18 were detected by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA).

Results: Significant higher levels of serum IgM, TNF-α, INF-γ, IL-8, IL-12 and IL-18 were found in all HFMD patients compared with control (p<0.01). Highest serum levels of IgM, TNF-α, INF-γ, IL-8, IL-12 and IL-18 were found in severe HFMD patients with EV71 infection. No significant differences in levels of IL-8, IL-12 and IL-18 were found between HFMD patients with EV71 infection and mild HFMD patients with CVA16 infection. With treatment, levels of IgM, TNF-α, INF-γ, IL-8, IL-12 and IL-18 decreased gradually to reach normal level. Serum levels of TNF-α, INF-γ, IL-8, IL-12 and IL-18 were all positively correlated with serum level of IgM.

Conclusion: Serum immune factors were involved in the development of HFMD.

Author(s): Lieping Huang, Yiyao Han, Qiao Xu

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