Interferon-γ and CXCL10 responses related to complaints in patients with Q fever fatigue syndrome

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10096-018-3265-z

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2018 May 26. doi: 10.1007/s10096-018-3265-z. [Epub ahead of print]
Interferon-γ and CXCL10 responses related to complaints in patients with Q fever fatigue syndrome.
Raijmakers RPH1,2, Jansen AFM3,4, Keijmel SP3,4, Schoffelen T3,4, Scholzen A5, van der Meer JWM4, Joosten LAB4,6, Netea MG3,4,6, van Deuren M3,4,6, Bleeker-Rovers CP3,4,6.

Abstract

Approximately 20% of patients with acute Q fever develop Q fever fatigue syndrome (QFS), a debilitating fatigue syndrome.

This study further investigates the role of C. burnetii-specific IFNγ, but also IL-2, CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXLC11 production in QFS patients. C. burnetii-specific IFNy, IL-2, CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11 production were tested in ex vivo stimulated whole blood of QFS patients who recovered from their complaints (n = 8), QFS patients with persisting complaints (n = 27), and asymptomatic Q fever seropositive controls (n = 10).

With the exclusion of one outlier, stimulation with C. burnetii revealed significantly higher IFNy and CXCL10 production in QFS patients with persisting complaints (medians 288.0 and 176.0 pg/mL, respectively) than in QFS patients who recovered from their complaints (medians 93.0 and 85.5 pg/mL, respectively) (p = 0.041 and 0.045, respectively).

No significant differences between groups were found for C. burnetii-specific IL-2, CXCL9, and CXCL11 production.

These findings point towards a difference in cell-mediated immunity in QFS patients with persisting complaints compared to those who recovered from their complaints.

Such a difference may aid to eventually diagnose QFS more objectively and might serve as an indicator of its underlying etiology.

KEYWORDS:
CXCL10; Cell-mediated immunity; Coxiella burnetii; Interferon-gamma; Q fever; Q fever fatigue syndrome

PMID:
29804281
DOI:
10.1007/s10096-018-3265-z

 

Small study, and the exclusion of an outlier was required for them to report a significant difference... I guess we'll see if other groups replicate this or not.