Changes of cytokines in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of newborns infected with human cytomegalovirus

Objective To investigate the molecules of cytokine in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of newborns infected with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) by using protein chip technology and to analyze the changes of specific cytokine in serum and cerebrospinal fluid caused by HCMV infection, in order to provide a reliable index for predicting nervous system injury caused by HCMV infection. Methods Serum and cerebrospinal fluid in 4 newborns with HCMV infection and central nervous system injury (HCMV-infected group), and 4 newborns without HCMV infection and central nervous system infection (control group) were collected in Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University from June 2016 to December 2017, and protein chip was used to screen the differentially expressed cytokines in newborns serum and cerebrospinal fluid.The samples were further expanded to collect cerebrospinal fluid from 30 newborns HCMV infection group and 30 newborns in the control group, and the expression of differentially proteins was verified by adopting enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) method. Results The results of protein chip analysis showed that newborns in HCMV infection group, compared with the control group, had 3 differentially expressed cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid sample: adipocyte complement-related protein of 30 kD(Acrp30), interleukin-1 alpha(IL-1α), and matrix metallo protein-3(MMP3) (all P<0.05). Newborns in the HCMV-infected group, compared with the control group, had no differential cytokine expression in the serum.The results of ELISA showed that expression of Acrp30 was significantly higher in the cerebrospinal fluid of newborns with HCMV infection and central nervous system injury [(39.76±2.01) ng/L vs.(7.75±0.10) ng/L, t=87.09, P<0.001], and MMP3 expression was higher than that of control group [(1.40±2.13) ng/L vs.(0.18±0.45) ng/L, t=3.07, P=0.003], while the expression of IL-1α was significantly lower than that of the control group [(2.36±0.99) ng/L vs.(2.91±0.78) ng/L, t=2.39, P=0.020], and the differences were statistically significant. Conclusions The changes of cytokine in cerebrospinal fluid of HCMV infected newborn children may provide a reliable index for predicting injury degree of central nervous system in HCMV, and may further assist clinicians to give timely and appropriate treatment to newborns, and further assist clinicians to improve the prognosis for newborns. Key words: Human cytomegalovirus; Cerebrospinal fluid; Cytokine; Protein chip; Central nervous system injury