原发性EB病毒感染患儿AIM2炎症小体通路的表达及与肝损伤的相关性

目的：探讨原发性EB病毒感染患儿黑素瘤缺乏因子2(AIM2)炎症小体通路的表达及与肝损伤的相关性。方法：纳入2020年1月至2021年6月82例原发性EB病毒感染住院患儿（入院时EB-VCA-Ig M和EB-DNA检测均阳性），按有无肝损伤分为肝功能异常组（52例）与肝功能正常组（30例）；同期选取门诊体检EBVIgG阳性（EB-VCA-IgG、EB-NA-IgG）而EB-VCA-IgM阴性的50例健康儿童为既往EBV感染组；门诊体检EBV-IgG和EBV-VCA-Ig M均阴性的50例健康儿童为对照组。实时荧光定量PCR技术检测外周血单个核细胞AIM2炎症小体（AIM2、ASC和caspase-1）m RNA表达，酶联免疫吸附试验检测血清白细胞介素（IL）-1β、IL-18水平。结果：原发性EBV感染患儿外周血AIM2、ASC和caspase-1 mRNA的表达量以及IL-1β和IL-18水平均高于既往EBV感染组、对照组（P<0.05），并且血清EBV-DNA载量与AIM2、ASC和caspase-1 mRNA表达及IL-1β和IL-18水平呈正相关（r=0.712、0.49...

Expression of AIM2 inflammasome signaling pathway in primary EBV infection in children and its correlation with liver injury

Objective: To explore the expression of absent in melanoma 2(AIM2) inflammatory signaling pathway in children with primary Epstein-Bark virus (EBV) infection and its correlation with liver injury. Methods: A total of 82 children with positive EB-VCA IgM and EBV-DNA from January 2020 to June 2021 were enrolled as primary EBV infection group, among whom 52 had liver injury and 30 had no liver injury; 50 healthy children with positive EBV-IgG (EB-VCA-IgG, EB-NA-IgG) and negative EB-VCA-IgM as previous EBV infection group and 50 healthy children with negative EBV-IgG/EBV-VCA IgM as the healthy control group.Real-time PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of AIM2 inflammasome (AIM2, ASC and caspase-1) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The serum interleuk in (IL)-1β, IL-18 level was detected by ELISA.Results: Compared with previous EBV infection group and the control group, primary EBV infection group had significantly higher relative mRNA expression level of AIM2, ASC, and caspase-1 in PBMCs and serum level of IL-1β and IL-18 (P<0.05). The level of AIM2, ASC, caspase-1 mRNA in PBMCs and serum level of IL-1β, IL-18 were positively correlated with the virus load in serum (r=0.712, 0.494, 0.479, 0.384, 0.300, P<0.05). Compared with the control group, both liver injury group and no liver injury group had significantly higher relative mRNA expression level of AIM2, ASC, and caspase-1 in PBMCs and serum level of IL-1β and IL-18 (P<0.05). The liver injury group had significantly higher level of above-mentioned parameters than the no liver injury group (P<0.05).The relative expression level of AIM2 was positively correlated with the relative mRNA expression level of ASC and caspase-1 and the serum level of IL-1β and IL-18 (r=0.718, 0.729, 0.548, 0.529, P<0.05). Conclusion:The AIM2 inflammasome signaling pathway might be involved in the pathogenesis of primary EBV infection in children and is associated with the EBV hepatitis.