Interferon‐alpha in viral and bacterial gastroenteritis: a comparison with C‐reactive protein and interleukin‐6

Mangiarotti P, Moulin F, Palmer P, Ravilly S, Raymond J, Gendrel D. Interferon‐alpha in viral and bacterial gastroenteritis: a comparison with C‐reactive protein and interleukin‐6. Acta Pædiatr 1999; 88: 592‐4. Stockholm. ISSN 0803‐5253 The aim of the study was to identify serum markers able to differentiate bacterial and viral origin in acute diarrhoea. Interferon‐alpha (INF‐α), C‐reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin‐6 were determined on admission in the sera of 119 children aged between 1 mo and 14 y who were hospitalized for rotavirus (n = 60) or bacterial diarrhoea (Salmonella spp. 39 cases, Shigella spp. 15 cases, Campylobacter jejuni 5 cases). CRP concentration was >10mg/l in 48.3% of children with viral gastroenteritis and 86.4% of children with bacterial gastroenteritis. IL6 concentration was >100pg/ml in 11.7% and 26.3% of cases, respectively. INF‐α was detected in 79.1% of children with rotavirus (sens 79%) and in 3.5% (spec 93%) with bacterial gastroenteritis. However the INF‐α assay takes 48 h and pathogens are often identified from stools before interferon results are available. We found that serum markers are not discriminating enough to differentiate between viral and bacterial gastroenteritis in emergency cases. □C‐reactive protein, interferon‐alpha, interleukin‐6, viral gastroenteritis, bacterial gastroenteritis