PROFILES OF CIRCULATING INFLAMMATORY-CYTOKINES AND ANTIINFLAMMATORY-CYTOKINES IN PATIENTS WITH HEMOLYTIC-UREMIC SYNDROME DUE TO ESCHERICHIA-COLI O157 INFECTION

The systemic inflammatory response to Escherichia coli O157 infection was studied from the profiles of circulating inflammatory and anti-inf lammatory cytokines, Twelve patients transferred sequentially to our h ospital for the intensive care with acute illness due to Escherichia c oli O157 infection and the possible form of haemolytic uraemic syndrom e were included in this study, Increased circulating concentrations of tumour necrosis factor, interleukin 6, interleukin 8, granulocyte col ony-stimulating factor, and interleukin 10 were found in patients with various stages of this infection and haemolytic uraemic syndrome, Esp ecially, the degree of the increase of circulating interleukin 10 in t hose who had a typical signs of haemolytic uraemic syndrome was higher than those of other inflammatory cytokines. Two groups of E, coli inf ection could be classified into one with a typical haemolytic uraemic syndrome and the other with atypically bacteremic state over haemolyti c uraemic syndrome according to these cytokine levels. (C) 1998 Academ ic Press.