Changes in peripheral blood cytokines in patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome

Abstract Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is recognized as an emerging infectious disease. This study aimed to investigate the pathogenic mechanism of SFTS. A total of 100 subjects were randomly included in the study. Cytokine levels were detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and the viral load was detected by micro drop digital PCR. The results showed that levels of interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), IL‐8, IL‐10, IFN‐inducible protein‐10 (IP‐10), monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1), macrophage inflammatory protein‐1α (MIP‐1α), transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1), and regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted factor (RANTES) differed significantly among the SFTS patient group, healthy people group, and asymptomatic infection group ( p < .05). Compared to the healthy people group, the patient group had increased cytokine levels (IL‐6, IL‐10, IP‐10, MCP‐1, and IFN‐γ) but reduced levels of IL‐8, TGF‐β1, and RANTES ( p < .0167). IL‐6, IL‐8, IL‐10, IP‐10, MCP‐1, MIP‐1α, TGF‐β1, and the RANTES levels had different trends after the onset of the disease. IL‐6, IL‐10, IP‐10, and MCP‐1 levels in severe patients were higher than those in mild patients ( p < .05). There was a positive correlation between viral load and IL‐6 and IP‐10 but a negative correlation between viral load and RANTES. SFTSV could cause a cytokine change: the cytokine levels of patients had different degrees of fluctuation after the onset of the disease. The levels of IL‐6 and IL‐8 in the asymptomatic infection group were found between the SFTS patients group and the healthy people group. The levels of IL‐6, IL‐10, IP‐10, and MCP‐1 in the serum could reflect the severity of the disease, and the levels of IL‐6, IP‐10, and RANTES were correlated with the viral load.