Serum levels of cytokines in patients envenomed by Tityus serrulatus scorpion sting

Seventeen patients stung by Tityus serrulatus scorpion were classified as m ild (pain at the site of the sting, n = 6), moderate (local pain and one of the following manifestations: vomiting, psychomotor agitation, prostration , sweating, tachypnea, tachycardia and mild arterial hypertension, n = 10) and severe cases (equal moderate cases plus cardiac failure; pulmonary edem a and shock, n = 1), Venous blood was sampled for biochemical and hematolog ical analysis and for IL-alpha, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-alpha. IFN-gamma and GM-CS F ELISAs at the lime of hospital admission, 6 h (moderate and severe cases) ; and 12, 18, 36 and 72 h (severe case) later. Ten age-matched healthy volu nteers were used as control. Increased serum levels of IL-1 alpha was notic ed in all patients, high levels of IL-6, IFN-gamma and GM-CSF were observed only in a patient with severe envenomation. Our data suggest that a system ic inflammatory response-like syndrome is triggered during severe envenomat ion caused by T. serrulatus sting and that release of cytokines may be invo lved in this response. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.