PHOSPHOLIPASE-A2 IS A CIRCULATING MEDIATOR IN TYPHOID-FEVER

Circulating proinflammatory mediators have not been found in studies o n typhoid fever, although the patients suffer fro a systemic disease w ith characteristic protracted fever. The 14-kDa group II extracellular phospholipase A2 (PLA2) is induced by interleukin-1 and tumor necrosi s factor and may mediate some of the effects of these cytokines. Circu lating PLA2 concentrations were measured in 12 typhoid fever patients on various days after admission and after recovery. On admission, mean concentrations of PLA2 were elevated (1444 +/- 1560 ng/mL) and decrea sed gradually and significantly to day 14 (55 +/- 48 ng/mL). Patients with complicated disease had significantly higher PLA2 levels on admis sion. PLA2 was not produced in a lipopolysaccharide-stimulated whole b lood culture, indicating that PLA2 originates from other types of cell s. These data indicate that PLA2 may be a mediator of disease in protr acted inflammatory diseases such as typhoid fever.