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Updated: Apr 11, 2026
Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis
Published on: September 7, 2022
[Expression of CD163 in children with Epstein-Barr virus infection]
Yan-Li Chen1, Fu-Xiong Chen, Chang-Bo Deng
1Department of Pediatrics, Fifth Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou 510700, China. dengchangbo@163.com.
Insights
Elevated serum soluble CD163 levels may indicate hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in children, particularly those with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Higher CD163 levels correlate with disease severity, aiding in diagnosis and prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pediatrics
- Hematology
Context:
- Childhood hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a life-threatening hyperinflammatory syndrome.
- Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a common trigger for HLH in children.
- Accurate diagnosis and severity assessment are crucial for effective management of HLH.
Purpose:
- To investigate the clinical significance of soluble CD163 in diagnosing and evaluating the severity and prognosis of pediatric HLH.
- To correlate serum soluble CD163 levels with EBV infection, disease markers, and clinical outcomes in children.
Summary:
- Serum soluble CD163 levels were significantly elevated in children with HLH compared to controls and infectious mononucleosis patients.
- High soluble CD163 levels (>10,000 ng/mL) in EBV-positive children suggest a potential diagnosis of HLH.
- Soluble CD163 levels correlated with EBV-DNA, ferritin, and LDH, and inversely with blood counts, indicating a link to disease severity.
Impact:
- Soluble CD163 shows potential as a diagnostic biomarker for HLH in children, especially in EBV-positive cases.
- Monitoring soluble CD163 levels may assist in assessing HLH severity and predicting treatment response.
- This study contributes to understanding the role of CD163 in the pathogenesis and clinical presentation of pediatric HLH.
Objective:
To study the clinical significance of CD163 in the diagnosis and the evaluation of severity and prognosis of childhood hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH).
Methods:
Ninety-four children were classified into Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive (n=55) and EBV-negative groups (n=39; control group). The EBV-positive group was subgrouped into infectious mononucleosis (IM; n=47) and HLH (n=8). Serum levels of soluble CD163 were measured using ELISA. Expression of CD163 on mononuclear cells was detected by flow cytometry.
Results:
The serum levels of soluble CD163 were>10 000 ng/mL in all eight HLH patients (>30 000 ng/mL in 3 cases). The mean serum levels of soluble CD163 in the HLH group were significantly higher than in the control and IM groups (P<0.05). The serum levels of soluble CD163 in EBV-positive children were positively correlated with EBV-DNA copies and serum levels of ferritin and LDH, but were negatively correlated with white blood cell count, neutrophil count, hemoglobin and platelet count. The follow-up after treatment for three HLH patients showed that serum levels of soluble CD163 were significantly reduced, but the soluble CD163 levels rebounded in one patient who was complicated by fungal pneumonia infection.
Conclusions:
The levels of serum soluble CD163 may be related to the severity in children with HLH. The EBV-positive children with soluble CD163 levels >10 000 ng/mL should be considered the possibility of HLH.
