Coxiella burnetii Infection With Severe Hyperferritinemia in an Asplenic Patient. (26th August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Paine, Allison; Miya, Tadashi; Webb, Brandon J.
• Is Part Of: Open forum infectious diseases. Volume 2:Number 4(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-08-26
• Subjects: Coxiella burnetii -- hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis -- hyperferritinemia -- macrophage activation -- Q fever; Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Medical microbiology -- Periodicals; Infection -- Periodicals; 616.9
• DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofv125
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2328-8957

Abstract

Abstract: Q fever is an uncommon but likely underreported zoonotic infection. Severe hyperferritinemia has been associated with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and other infectious diseases. In this study, we report a case of Coxiella burnetii infection in an asplenic patient complicated by severe hyperferritinemia and bone marrow infiltration. In this case, the marked ferritin elevation may have been an indicator of profound systemic macrophage activation due to preferential intracellular infection of this cell type by C burnetii, perhaps exacerbated by altered mononuclear phagocyte system function in the setting of asplenia.