Analysis of viral nucleic acid and cytokines in 12 children with 2019-nCoV infection
10.3760/cma.j.cn112309-20200602-00286
- VernacularTitle:12例新型冠状病毒感染儿童病毒核酸和细胞因子检测分析
- Author:
Xufang LI
1
;
Chunxiao FANG
;
Huamei YANG
;
Minxia CHEN
;
Lanhui SHE
;
Yu GONG
;
Fansen ZENG
;
Jiawei YE
;
Limei TAN
;
Qian ZHONG
;
Lingli LIU
;
Yanling WANG
;
Yi XU
Author Information
1. 广州市妇女儿童医疗中心感染性疾病科 510120
- From:
Chinese Journal of Microbiology and Immunology
2020;40(8):574-578
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To analyze the viral nucleic acid and cytokines in 12 children with 2019-nCoV infection.Methods:Clinical and laboratory data of the children diagnosed with 2019-nCoV infection in Guangzhou Women and Children′s Medical Center from January to April 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Throat and anal swabs were collected on alternate days for the detection of 2019-nCoV nucleic acid by fluorescence quantitative PCR. Flow cytometry was used to detect serum cytokines including IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-22, TNF-α and TNF-β during the early (both throat and anal swab tests were positive), the intermediate (throat swab test was negative, while anal swab test remained positive), and the convalescence (both throat and anal swab tests were negative) stages of infection.Results:A total of 12 children were enrolled in this study. The male-to-female ratio was 5∶1. The average age was (7.0±4.3) years. There were two asymptomatic, five mild and five common cases. No severe or critical cases were involved. Initially, throat and anal swab nucleic acid tests were simultaneously positive in nine children newly diagnosed in our hospital and the median time of viral shedding in throat swab was longer than that in throat swab [32 (4.5, 45.0) d vs 3 (2, 9) d, Z=11.0, P=0.010]. The median difference of viral shedding time between anal swab and pharyngeal swab was 25.5 (1.5, 42.8) d. The overall levels of serum cytokines IL-17A, IL -4 and IL-5 in different stages of the disease (early, intermediate and convalescence stage) were statistically different ( Z or F, P values were 8.33, 0.016; 5.36, 0.010 and 6.56, 0.004, respectively), and a significant increase was observed in the intermediate stage of infection. IL-17F, IL-2 and IL-22 were all increased during the infection, but there was no significant statistical difference among the three stages ( P>0.05). Conclusions:It was noted that intestinal viral shedding needed a longer time. Although the infectivity has not been determined, higher requirements have been put forward for disease prevention and control. Cytokines secreted by Th2 and Th17 cells were involved in the immune response in children with non-severe 2019-nCoV infection. Monitoring viral shedding and cytokine changes in pediatric patients would be conducive to disease assessment.
