High IL-6/IL-10 ratios indicate sepsis in children with infectious diseases: A retrospective observational study

Background The present study aims to investigate the levels of IL-6 and IL-10, and the ratio of IL-6 to IL-10 in children with or without sepsis, in order to explore the roles of these cytokines in pediatric sepsis. Methods A retrospective observational study was performed between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2022. Children with infectious diseases were reviewed and assigned to the sepsis and non-sepsis groups, respectively. Information on the demographics, clinical characteristics, laboratory results on IL-6 and IL-10, and treatments were retrieved from the medical records, and compared between the two groups. Results A total of 122 children were analyzed, with 57 and 65 children in the sepsis and non-sepsis groups, respectively. Compared to children in the non-sepsis group, children in the sepsis group had higher IL-6 and IL-10 levels, and IL-6/IL-10 ratios on the first day of hospital admission ( p  < 0.05). The further multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed the statistically significant association between the IL-6/IL-10 ratio, and the presence of sepsis. Conclusions Sepsis children present with higher IL-6 and IL-10 levels, and IL-6/IL-10 ratios, when compared to non-sepsis children. This can be used to evaluate the disease severity in this children population.