[Laboratory diagnosis of patients with exanthematic or febrile syndromes occurring in the Zulia State, Venezuela, during 1998].

Background: Exanthematic diseases are a group of syndromes mainly caused by acute viral infections.

Aim: To obtain information about the viruses that cause exanthematic diseases in our region.

Patients And Methods: During 1998, 267 serum samples from patients with an acute rash or patients presenting a febrile syndrome accompanied by enlarged lymph nodes, headache and other symptoms, were collected.

Concentrations of cytokines, soluble interleukin-2 receptor, and soluble CD30 in sera of patients with hepatitis B virus infection during acute and convalescent phases.

The immunoregulatory roles of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-10, gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), the soluble form of the IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R), and the soluble form of CD30 (sCD30) were evaluated in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Two groups of subjects were studied: 15 healthy individuals without hepatitis antecedents and 15 patients with HBV infection. Blood samples were taken during the acute and convalescent phases.