@Article{ecn.2016.0383,
AUTHOR = {Hui Lu, Rong Wang, Wenbin Li, Hua Xie, Chang Wang, Ying Hao, Yuhuan Sun, Zhengping Jia},
TITLE = {Plasma cytokine profiling to predict susceptibility to acute mountain sickness},
JOURNAL = {European Cytokine Network},
VOLUME = {27},
YEAR = {2016},
NUMBER = {4},
PAGES = {90--96},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/ECN/v27n4/65529},
ISSN = {1952-4005},
ABSTRACT = {Extensive studies have been performed on acute mountain sickness (AMS), but biomarkers predicting
AMS are lacking. Presently, the mainstay methods to identify AMS biomarkers include proteomic and genetic
methods at high altitudes or in hypoxic simulated chambers. In the present study, we compared plasma cytokine
profiles between AMS-susceptible individuals and AMS-resistant individuals at low altitude by cytokine array
analysis. In total, 75 differentially expressed cytokines were identified between AMS-susceptible individuals and
AMS-resistant individuals, most involved in inflammation. A quantifiable human custom cytokine antibody array
was then used to further test results of cytokine array analysis. Compared to AMS-resistant individuals, the level
of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 6 (IGFBP-6) was significantly lower in AMS-susceptible individuals
(37,318.99 ± 23,493.11 pg/mL and 25,665.38 ± 25,691.29 pg/mL, respectively; P = 0.04). Conversely, the levels
of serum amyloid A1 (SAA1), dickkopf WNT signaling pathway inhibitor 4 (Dkk4), and interleukin 17 receptor
A (IL-17RA) were significantly higher in AMS-susceptible individuals than in AMS-resistant individuals (SAA1:
4,069.69 ± 2,502.93 pg/mL vs. 2,994.98 ± 2,295.91 pg/mL, P = 0.05; Dkk4: 2,090.00 ± 2,094.89 pg/mL vs. 1,049.88 ±
1,690.93 pg/mL, P = 0.07; IL-17RA: 11.52 ± 8.33 pg/mL vs. 8.67 ± 6.22 pg/mL, P = 0.08). Although further in-depth
research is required to examine the possible role of these cytokines in the development of AMS, these four cytokines
may be of use in predicting AMS-susceptibility in a low-altitude environment.},
DOI = {10.1684/ecn.2016.0383}
}