Role of cytokines, chemokines, C3a, and mannose-binding lectin in the evolution of the chikungunya infection.

The pathogenesis of the severity of chikungunya infection is not yet fully understood. OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of the cytokines/chemokines and system of complement in the evolution of chikungunya infection. METHODS: In both acute and chronic phases, we measured the serum levels of 12 cytokines/chemokines and two complement mediators: mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and C3a, in 83 patients with chikungunya infection and ten healthy controls. RESULTS: During the acute phase, 75.9% of the patients developed musculoskeletal disorders, and in 37.7% of them, these disorders persisted until the chronic phase. In general, patients had higher levels of cytokines than healthy controls, with significant differences for IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and MIP-1. Most cytokines exhibited a downward trend during the chronic phase. However, only IL-10, and MIP-1 levels were significantly lower in the chronic phase. Additionally, these levels never decreased to concentrations found in healthy controls. Moreover, MBL levels were significantly higher in the acute phase compared with the chronic phase. C3a levels were significantly higher in patients with musculoskeletal disorder compared with patients without it, in both acute-phase 118.2 (66.5-252.9), and chronic phase 68.5 (64.4-71.3), P < 0.001. Interestingly, C3a levels were significantly higher when patients had a severe disease version. Besides, in the acute phase, C3a levels were higher in patients that suffer arthritis as opposed to when they suffer arthralgia, 194.3 (69.5-282.2), and 70.9 (62.4-198.8), P = 0.013, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed an immunological response that persisted until the chronic phase and the role of the complement system in the severity of the disease.

Manifestaciones agudas en infección por virus del chikungunya en una ciudad endémica de Colombia / Acute manifestations in the infection by Chikungunya virus in a city of Colombia

Introducción: La infección aguda por chikungunya genera una alta carga de enfermedad y discapacidad dada principalmente por poliartralgias en fase aguda y artritis en fase crónica, sin embargo, presenta una sintomatología similar a otras arbovirosis, particularmente a las del dengue, lo que dificulta su diagnóstico. Objetivos: Caracterizar las manifestaciones clínicas de la infección aguda por chikungunya en los pacientes atendidos en el departamento de urgencias de la ciudad de Ibagué, Colombia, durante el brote epidémico transcurrido entre octubre de 2015 y octubre de 2016. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo, de corte transversal, en el cual se describieron las manifestaciones clínicas de la infección aguda por chikungunya, a través del instrumento desarrollado a partir de la revisión de la literartura que recogía las principales manifestaciones clínicas de la infección en fase aguda por chikungunya, como anexo a las fichas epidemiológicas de notificación obligatoria individual del Instituto Nacional de Salud que se reportan a la Secretaría Municipal de Ibagué-Tolima. Resultados: Se recolectaron 6752 fichas de pacientes atendidos en los servicios de urgencias, los que experimentaron fiebre de 38,5 ºC de 1-7 días (91,3 por ciento), mialgias (81,3 por ciento), eritema maculopapular (74,3 por ciento), artralgias severas (70,6 por ciento), poliartritis (41,1 por ciento) y adenomegalias retroauriculares (8 por ciento). Conclusiones: Los resultados obtenidos en el presente estudio aportan información importante para el diagnóstico clínico del chikungunya en sitios con características similares a las de ciudades hiperendemicas y facilita distinguir la enfermedad en fase aguda entre las diferentes arbovirosis circulantes con signos como las mialgias, adenoapatias retro-auriculares y artralgia severa(AU)

Introduction: The acute infection by Chikungunya generates a high burden of illness and disability mainly due to polyarthralgias in acute phase and artritis in chronic phase. However, it presents symptoms similar to other arboviruses, specially like dengue, which difficults its diagnosis. Objective: To characterize the clinical manifestations of the acute infection by Chikungunya in patients attended in the emergencies service of Ibagué city, Colombia, during the epidemic outbreak that occured from October, 2015 to October, 2016. Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional study in which were described the clinical manifestations of the acute infection by chikungunya using an instrument developed from the review of the literature that comprises the main clinical manifestations of the infection by chikungunya in its acute phase, as an information attached to the epidemiologic records of individual obligatory notification of the National Institute of Health, which are reported to Ibagué-Tolima Municipal Secretary. Results: There were collected 6752 records of patients attended in emergency services, whom experienced fever of 38,5 ºC from 1 to 7 days (91,3 percent), myalgias (81,3 percent), maculopapular erythema (74,3 percent), severe arthralgias (70,6 percent), polyarthritis (41,1 percent) and retroarticular adenomegalies (8 percent). Conclusions: The results obtained in the present study provide important information for the clinical diagnosis of chikungunya in places with similar characteristics to the hyperepidemic cities and it facilitates to differentiate the disease in its acute phase among the different current arboviruses with signs of myalgia, retroarticular adenopathies and severe arthralgia(AU)

Fatal Dengue, Chikungunya and Leptospirosis: The Importance of Assessing Co-infections in Febrile Patients in Tropical Areas.

The febrile patient from tropical areas, in which emerging arboviruses are endemic, represents a diagnostic challenge, and potential co-infections with other pathogens (i.e., bacteria or parasites) are usually overlooked. We present a case of an elderly woman diagnosed with dengue, chikungunya and Leptospira interrogans co-infection. Study Design: Case report. An 87-year old woman from Colombia complained of upper abdominal pain, arthralgia, myalgia, hyporexia, malaise and intermittent fever accompanied with progressive jaundice. She had a medical history of chronic heart failure (Stage C, New York Heart Association, NYHA III), without documented cardiac murmurs, right bundle branch block, non-valvular atrial fibrillation, hypertension, and chronic venous disease. Her cardiac and pulmonary status quickly deteriorated after 24 h of her admission without electrocardiographic changes and she required ventilatory and vasopressor support. In the next hours the patient evolved to pulseless electrical activity and then she died. Dengue immunoglobulin M (IgM), non-structural protein 1 (NS1) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), microagglutination test (MAT) for Leptospira interrogans and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for chikungunya, were positive. This case illustrates a multiple co-infection in a febrile patient from a tropical area of Latin America that evolved to death.

Post-chikungunya chronic inflammatory rheumatism: Follow-up of cases after 1 year of infection in Tolima, Colombia.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic Inflammatory Rheumatism (CIR) is one of the recognized and increasingly reported consequence post-chikungunya infection (pCHIK) in Colombia and Latin America. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of 128 patients with CHIK that persisted with pCHIK-CIR after 59-68 weeks (1.13-1.31 years). This information was evaluated by means of a telephone survey and according to validated criteria (WHO 2015) previously (patients with >12 weeks post-CHIK with ≥1 manifestations [continuous/recurrent]: chronic polyarthralgia [pCHIK-CPA], stiffness and/or joint edema). RESULTS: Of the total CHIK-infected subjects finally included (n = 65), 28 (43.1%) reported pCHIK-CPA; and 38 patients (58.5%) at least one persistent rheumatological symptoms over the last year (pCHIK-CIR); 38.5% of them, morning stiffness, 18.5% joint edema, and 3.1% joint redness. No significant sex differences were found; 60% of patients with pCHIK-CPA aged> 40 years (RR = 3.75; 95%CI 1.47-9.53). The 29.2% of patients required medical attention because of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly half of patients with CHIK had at least one rheumatologic symptom persistent over a year, and the third of them, pCHIK-CPA. These results are comparable with previous estimates obtained in other cohorts in the country (Risaralda and Sucre) and are consistent with results from other studies in France and India.

Mapping Zika virus infection using geographical information systems in Tolima, Colombia, 2015-2016.

OBJECTIVE: Geographical information systems (GIS) have been extensively used for the development of epidemiological maps of tropical diseases, however not yet specifically for Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. METHODS: Surveillance case data of the ongoing epidemics of ZIKV in the Tolima department, Colombia (2015-2016) were used to estimate cumulative incidence rates (cases/100,000 pop.) to develop the first maps in the department and its municipalities, including detail for the capital, Ibagué. The GIS software used was Kosmo Desktop 3.0RC1®. Two thematic maps were developed according to municipality and communes incidence rates. RESULTS: Up to March 5, 2016, 4,094 cases of ZIKV were reported in Tolima, for cumulated rates of 289.9 cases/100,000 pop. (7.95% of the country). Burden of ZIKV infection has been concentrated in its east area, where municipalities have reported >500 cases/100,000 pop. These municipalities are bordered by two other departments, Cundinamarca (3,778 cases) and Huila (5,338 cases), which also have high incidences of ZIKV infection. Seven municipalities of Tolima ranged from 250-499.99 cases/100,000 pop., of this group five border with high incidence municipalities (>250), including the capital, where almost half of the reported cases of ZIKV in Tolima are concentrated. CONCLUSIONS: Use of GIS-based epidemiological maps helps to  guide decisions for the prevention and control of diseases that represent significant issues in the region and the country, but also in emerging conditions such as ZIKV.