Guven, Ahmet S.Sancakdar, EnverUysal, Elif B.Kaya, AliOflaz, Mehmet B.Karapinar, HekimBolat, FatihTuzcu, NevinDeveci, KoksalCevit, OmerIcagasioglu, Fusun D.2019-07-272019-07-282019-07-272019-07-2820150891-36681532-0987https://dx.doi.org/10.1097/INF.0000000000000530https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12418/7956Background: Apoptosis is a main regulator in responses of cellular immunity throughout systemic viral infections. Perforin, soluble Fas ligand, caspase-3 and caspase-cleaved cytokeratin-18 (M-30) are mediators of apoptosis. The aim of this study is the evaluation of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) disease changes in the levels of these apoptotic markers and the relation of these changes with disease severity. Methods: Forty-nine hospitalized children with CCHF and 36 healthy controls were enrolled in this prospective study. The CCHF patients were classified into 2 groups based on disease severity (severe group and nonsevere group). Demographic characteristics and clinical and laboratory findings of all patients were recorded on admission. Results: Serum perforin, caspase-3 and soluble Fas ligand levels were found to be significantly higher both in the severe and nonsevere CCHF groups than the healthy control group (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in these apoptotic markers between severe and nonsevere CCHF groups (P > 0.05). In addition, serum M-30 levels did not differ significantly among all groups (P > 0.05). There was a positive correlation between serum values for perforin, caspase-3 and M-30 and the disease's severity criteria such as aspartate aminotransferase and/or alanine aminotransferase. The serum levels of all these markers were negatively correlated with disease severity criteria such as the platelet count. Conclusions: In this study, we concluded that the interactions of cytolytic granules containing perforin and caspase cascade and Fas-FasL may play an important role in the pathogenesis of CCHF in children.en10.1097/INF.0000000000000530info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessperforinsoluble Fas ligandcaspase-3M-30apoptosischildrenCrimean-Congo hemorrhagic feverArticle342213208251705512-s2.0-84925390202Q1WOS:000349908800020Q1