Elevated levels of IL-8 in fatal leptospirosis

• Published in: Pathogens and Global Health
• Main Author: Wan Yusoff W.S.Y.; Abdullah M.; Sekawi Z.; Amran F.; Yuhana M.Y.; Mohd Taib N.; Md. Shah A.; Amin Nordin S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor and Francis Ltd. 2020
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85079069651&doi=10.1080%2f20477724.2020.1724356&partnerID=40&md5=4e4314fe199926138b9cf421f34a2846

Leptospirosis causes a wide range of clinical outcomes, including organ failure and death. Early treatment significantly increases the chances of cure. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a chemoattractant cytokine for neutrophil and is associated with multiple organ failure. Research has indicated IL-8 to be raised in severe and fatal cases of leptospirosis, but its suitability as a prognostic biomarker has yet to be confirmed. This study aimed to evaluate the significance of IL-8 with the clinical outcomes of leptospirosis patients. Plasma IL-8 was measured in fifty-two samples from hospitalized patients and nineteen healthy controls. The comparisons were made between mild, severe-survived and fatal groups identified by clinical or laboratory findings. IL-8 was significantly higher in fatal (p = 0.01) compared to mild cases. IL-8 was also significantly higher in fatal (p = 0.02) when compared to survived cases of leptospirosis. IL-8 levels in the plasma of fatal leptospirosis cases were significantly elevated compared to survived cases and may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker in determining the possible outcome of leptospirosis patients. © 2020, © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.