IL-10 and socs3 Are Predictive Biomarkers of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever

Abstract

Background. Cytokines play important roles in the physiopathology of dengue infection; therefore, the suppressors of cytokine signaling (socs) that control the type and timing of cytokine functions could be involved in the origin of immune alterations in dengue.Objective. To explore the association of cytokine andsocslevels with disease severity in dengue patients.Methods. Blood samples of 48 patients with confirmed dengue infection were analyzed. Amounts of interleukins IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10, interferon- (IFN-)γ, and tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-)αwere quantified by flow cytometry, and the relative expression ofsocs1andsocs3mRNA was quantified by real-time RT-PCR.Results. Increased levels of IL-10 and socs3 and lower expression ofsocs1were found in patients with dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) with respect to those with dengue fever (DF) (p<0.05). Negative correlations were found betweensocs1and both IL-10 andsocs3(p<0.01). The cutoff values ofsocs3(>199.8-fold),socs1(<1.94-fold), and IL-10 (>134 pg/ml) have the highest sensitivity and specificity to discriminate between DF and DHF.Conclusion. Simultaneous changes in IL-10 andsocs1/socs3could be used as prognostic biomarkers of dengue severity.