Expression of Serum Cytokines Profile in Neonatal Sepsis
Suipeng Chen, Mengjiao Kuang, Ying Qu, Shirui Huang, Binbin Gong, Suzhen Lin, Huiyan Wang, Guiye Wang, Hongqun Tao, Jian Yu, Zuqin Yang, Minghua Jiang, Qipeng Xie
Abstract
Objective: Sepsis remains a major cause of neonatal death. To better characterize the inflammatory response during neonatal sepsis, we compared the differences in serum cytokines and chemokines between full-term neonates with sepsis and without infection. Methods: We enrolled 40 full-term neonates with sepsis and 26 full-term neonates without infection as controls between October 2016 and June 2018. Forty cytokines /chemokines in serum were analyzed using the Luminex Bead Immunoassay System. Results: Our results showed that serum IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IL-1β, MIF, CXCL13, CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL5, CXCL6, CXCL16, CCL27, CCL2, CCL8, CCL3, CCL20, CCL23, and CX3CL1 levels were significantly increased in neonates with sepsis compared to those in the control group (all p < 0.05). The levels of serum CCL20, and IL-17 were higher in late-onset sepsis (LOS) than those in early-onset sepsis (EOS) (all p < 0.05). Conversely, serum CXCL16 was lower in LOS than that in EOS ( p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings revealed that excessive pro-inflammatory cytokines might be involved in neonatal sepsis. In addition, chemokines significantly increased the recruitment of immune cells after infection to participate in the anti-infection defense of neonates, but this could lead to damage. Keywords: neonatal sepsis, cytokines, chemokines