IL-1β, IL-6, and RANTES as Biomarkers of Chikungunya Severity

Little is known about the immunopathogenesis of Chikungunya virus. Circulating levels of immune mediators and growth factors were analyzed from patients infected during the first Singaporean Chikungunya fever outbreak in early 2008 to establish biomarkers associated with infection and/or disease severity.Adult patients with laboratory-confirmed Chikungunya fever infection, who were referred to the Communicable Disease Centre/Tan Tock Seng Hospital during the period from January to February 2008, were included in this retrospective study. Plasma fractions were analyzed using a multiplex-microbead immunoassay. Among the patients, the most common clinical features were fever (100%), arthralgia (90%), rash (50%) and conjunctivitis (40%). Profiles of 30 cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors were able to discriminate the clinical forms of Chikungunya from healthy controls, with patients classified as non-severe and severe disease. Levels of 8 plasma cytokines and 4 growth factors were significantly elevated. Statistical analysis showed that an increase in IL-1beta, IL-6 and a decrease in RANTES were associated with disease severity.This is the first comprehensive report on the production of cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors during acute Chikungunya virus infection. Using these biomarkers, we were able to distinguish between mild disease and more severe forms of Chikungunya fever, thus enabling the identification of patients with poor prognosis and monitoring of the disease

25 years of light-induced petrel groundings in Reunion Island: Retrospective analysis and predicted trends

Artificial lights are known to induce mass mortality of petrels. This study analyzes this phenomenon in Reunion Island, where four species are impacted: the endemic Barau’s petrel (Pterodroma baraui) and Mascarene petrel (Pseudobulweria aterrima), the tropical shearwater (Puffinus bailloni) and the wedge-tailed shearwater (Ardenna pacifica). 40,036 birds were found grounded between January 1996 and December 2021, most of which were fledglings. Spatial distribution of groundings matched with the distribution and intensity of light pollution. With a mark and recapture method, we estimated that at least 3.93 % of Barau's petrels fledglings are affected by light-induced groundings each year. This method was also used to estimate Barau’s Petrel population around 33,000 breeding pairs. Time series analyses showed strong positive trends of the number of groundings for all species, which were positively correlated with the intensity of light pollution. All species showed a seasonal increase in groundings coinciding with their fledging periods. Interannual variations of Barau's petrel and wedge-tailed shearwater groundings were explained by moon phase at their fledging peaks. We built statistical models to explain year-to-year changes in the number of groundings for each species, and used them to predict the number of groundings in the next decades. We predicted that up to 87,000 petrels may be found grounded from 2022 to 2050 if nothing is done to reduce light pollution. These results and predictions underline the urgent need to strengthen the rescue campaign and to implement strong light reduction measures