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Toll-like receptor-4 expression in infants with pertussis infection
Z Vadasz1, E Bamberger, K Ben-Tikva
1Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Bnai Zion Medical Center, 47 Golomb Street, P.O. Box 4940, 31048, Haifa, Israel.
Insights
Infants with pertussis show lower Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) expression and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels. These findings suggest immune system differences in young children infected with Bordetella pertussis.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
Background:
- Pertussis, caused by Bordetella pertussis, remains a significant threat to young infants.
- Immune responses, including Toll-like receptor (TLR) expression and cytokine profiles, are crucial in managing bacterial infections.
- Understanding these responses in infants is vital for developing effective treatments and prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression of Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) and levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin-10 (IL-10).
- To compare these markers in young infants diagnosed with pertussis versus those with other respiratory infections.
Main Methods:
- Study included 22 infants under 3.5 months with suspected pertussis.
- Nasopharyngeal secretions were collected for PCR testing.
- Blood samples analyzed for monocyte TLR-4 expression via flow cytometry and serum cytokine levels (IFN-γ, IL-10).
Main Results:
- Six infants tested positive for pertussis; 16 served as controls.
- Significantly lower TLR-4 expression on monocytes was observed in pertussis-infected infants (p=0.041).
- Serum IFN-γ levels were also significantly lower in infants with pertussis (p=0.04), while IL-10 levels showed no significant difference.
Conclusions:
- Infants with pertussis exhibit reduced TLR-4 expression on monocytes compared to controls.
- Lower serum IFN-γ levels are associated with pertussis infection in young infants.
- These immune alterations may play a role in the pathogenesis of pertussis in this vulnerable population.
Purpose:
Our aim was to evaluate the expression of Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) and the level of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in young infants infected by Bordetella pertussis and B. parapertussis.
Methods:
Twenty-two infants under the age of 3.5 months with the clinical suspicion of pertussis were enrolled in the study. Nasopharyngeal secretions were obtained for laboratory testing, and blood samples were obtained for flow cytometry and cytokine level analysis.
Results:
Six infants had positive PCR results for pertussis; the other 16 infants had infections attributable to another causal agent and were used as the control group. The mean fluorescence index, used as a measure of TLR-4 expression by monocytes, was significantly lower in infants with pertussis than in the control group infants (34.32 ± 18.58 vs. 63.14 ± 28, respectively; p = 0.041). The serum IFN-γ level was also significantly lower in infants with pertussis than in the control group patients (0.41 ± 0.58 vs. 1.36 ± 1.87, respectively; p = 0.04). No differences were found in the levels of IL-10.
Conclusions:
Based on these results, we suggest that TL4 expression by monocytes and serum INF-γ levels are lower in infants with positive PCR results for pertussis than in infants with a non-pertussis upper respiratory tract infection.
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