Dengue Patients Treated with Doxycycline Showed Lower Mortality Associated to a Reduction in IL-6 and TNF Levels

Title:Dengue Patients Treated with Doxycycline Showed Lower Mortality Associated to a Reduction in IL-6 and TNF Levels

Volume: 10 Issue: 1

Author(s): Terry M. Fredeking, Jorge E. Zavala-Castro, Pedro Gonzalez-Martinez, William Moguel-Rodríguez, Ernesto C. Sanchez, Michael J. Foster and Fredi A. Diaz-Quijano

Affiliation:

• Departamento de Epidemiologia, Faculdade de Saude Publica da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 715, Cerqueira Cesar, CEP 01246-904, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Brazil

Keywords: Cytokines, dengue, doxycycline, mortality.

Abstract: Objective: To determine the effect of doxycycline treatment on cytokine levels, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), and mortality in dengue patients at high risk of complication.

Methods: A group of dengue hemorrhagic fever patients (n=231) were randomized to receive either standard supportive care or supportive care in addition to oral doxycycline twice daily for 7 days. Dengue virus infection was confirmed by PCR using multiple primers. Serum samples were obtained at days 0, 3, 5 and 7 and tested for levels of TNF and IL-6.

Results: Doxycycline-treated group presented a 46% lower mortality than that observed in the untreated group (11.2% [13/116] vs 20.9% [24/115], respectively, p=0.05). Moreover, administration of doxycycline resulted in a significant (p<0.01) decrease in levels of TNF and IL-6 versus controls in the tests performed during follow-up (day 3, 5 and 7). Patients who died in both groups possessed significantly (p<0.01) higher levels of TNF and IL-6 compared to those who survived at all-time points.

Conclusion: The above findings suggest that doxycycline can provide a clinical benefit to dengue patients at high risk of complications. This effect could be mediated by decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokine levels.

Cite this article as:

Fredeking M. Terry, Zavala-Castro E. Jorge, Gonzalez-Martinez Pedro, Moguel-Rodríguez William, Sanchez C. Ernesto, Foster J. Michael and Diaz-Quijano A. Fredi, Dengue Patients Treated with Doxycycline Showed Lower Mortality Associated to a Reduction in IL-6 and TNF Levels, Recent Patents on Anti-Infective Drug Discovery 2015; 10(1) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1574891X10666150410153839