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Increased interleukin-1β and basic fibroblast growth factor levels in the cerebrospinal fluid during human
Masato Tamai1, Nobuyuki Kobayashi2, Kazuya Shimada2
1Department of Virology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan; Department of Pediatrics, The Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan.
Abstract:
Human herpesvirus 6B (HHV-6B) causes exanthema subitum in infants and is known to be mildly pathogenic. However, HHV-6B infection can induce febrile seizures in a high percentage of patients, and in rare cases, result in encephalitis. We detected higher levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CFS) of patients with HHV-6B encephalitis when compared to those in patients with non-HHV-6B-induced febrile seizures. In vitro, IL-1β and bFGF enhanced HHV-6B gene expression in infected U373 astrocytes during the initial and maintenance phases of infection, respectively. These findings indicated that IL-1β and bFGF contribute to HHV-6B growth and the onset of encephalitis.
