International Journal of Clinical Research

Objective This study aimed to identify potential cytokine-based diagnostic markers by comparing the plasma levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) between the drug-induced exanthema (DIE) and infectious mononucleosis (IM). Methods A total of 60 subjects were enrolled, including 20 patients with DIE, 20 patients with IM, and 20 healthy individuals, all diagnosed or examined at the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University. Plasma levels of IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results The IM group exhibited significantly higher plasma levels of IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ compared to the DIE group and the healthy control (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed between the DIE group and the control group (P> 0.05). A logistic regression model was established to calculate the probability of IM using the following equation: P=1/(1+e^-(-4.78542+0.085604×IL-2+0.22842×IL-4+0.10893×IFN-γ)) The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for this combined prediction model was 0.991, with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 94% for diagnosing IM. Conclusion IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ may serve as potential biomarkers for distinguishing IM from DIE. Their combined detection offers high sensitivity and specificity.

Drug-induced exanthema; Infectious mononucleosis; IL-2; IL-4; IFN-γ