IL-18 and IL-18 binding protein levels in patients with dengue virus infection

Abstract Objective To determine the levels of IL-18 and IL-18 binding protein (BP) in patients with dengue virus infection. Methods Acute and convalescent sera were collected from each patient. Control group was sera from blood donors. The levels of both IL-18 and IL-18BP were measured by ELISA assays. Results It was shown that IL-18 and IL-18BP levels were significantly higher in patients when compared with controls. In addition, the level of IL-18BP was lower in convalescent than in acute sera. Conclusions These data suggest that both IL-18 and IL-18BP production was induced following dengue virus infection. Investigating the regulation of IL-18 by its natural regulator could lead to further understanding of the immune response or immunopathogenesis following dengue virus infection.