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IL-15 is elevated in the patients of postoperative enterocolitis
T Mayumi1, J Takezawa, H Takahashi
1Laboratory of Host Defense and Germfree Life, Research Institute for Disease Mechanism and Control, Nagoya, Japan. mtoshi@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Abstract:
Serum interleukin 15 (IL-15) levels were measured in 77 patients who were consecutively admitted to our intensive care unit. Postoperative enterocolitis occurred in four patients and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), but not Clostridium difficile, was identified in the faecal specimens from these patients. The IL-15 levels in the patients with MRSA enterocolitis were significantly elevated compared with those of other MRSA infections without enterocolitis including pneumonia (n=6) and cholangitis (n=1), and other MRSA non-colonized patients (n=66) (21.2+/-5.2 pg/ml vs 4.3+/-0.2, 4.3+/-0.5). Notably, an increase in serum IL-15 was observed just before clinical manifestation of severe diarrhoea. Our findings suggest that IL-15 may be associated in the pathogenesis of postoperative enterocolitis and its serum level may be a severity indicator of the disease.
Insights
Elevated serum interleukin 15 (IL-15) levels indicate a potential link to Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) enterocolitis in intensive care unit patients. Increased IL-15 may predict severe diarrhea and serve as a disease severity marker.
Area of Science:
- Intensive Care Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Immunology
Background:
- Postoperative enterocolitis is a serious complication in intensive care units.
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a significant pathogen in hospital-acquired infections.
- The role of specific cytokines, like IL-15, in MRSA-associated enterocolitis requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between serum interleukin 15 (IL-15) levels and the development of MRSA-induced postoperative enterocolitis.
- To determine if IL-15 levels can serve as a predictive biomarker for severe diarrhea in MRSA infections.
Main Methods:
- Serum IL-15 levels were measured in 77 intensive care unit patients.
- Patients were categorized based on MRSA infection, enterocolitis presence, and colonization status.
- Statistical analysis was performed to compare IL-15 levels across different patient groups.
Main Results:
- Four patients developed MRSA enterocolitis, with significantly elevated serum IL-15 levels (21.2+/-5.2 pg/ml) compared to other MRSA infections (4.3+/-0.2 pg/ml) and non-colonized patients (4.3+/-0.5 pg/ml).
- An increase in serum IL-15 was observed preceding the clinical manifestation of severe diarrhea.
- No Clostridium difficile was identified in the enterocolitis patients.
Conclusions:
- Serum IL-15 may play a role in the pathogenesis of postoperative MRSA enterocolitis.
- Elevated serum IL-15 levels could serve as an early indicator of disease severity and predict the onset of severe diarrhea in MRSA-infected patients.