Dysregulated T cell responses and inflammatory cytokine profiles in patients with acute chikungunya fever: a study from Guangdong, 2025

T cells, and natural killer T (NKT) cells, alongside a marked elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8. The degree of T cell dysregulation is closely related to the appearance of clinical symptoms, particularly arthralgia and fever. Furthermore, pre-existing comorbidities and advanced age were associated with more pronounced immune abnormalities. Male patients exhibited a higher risk of inflammatory dysregulation, demonstrated by greater NKT cell depletion and IL-1β upregulation compared to females. Notably, pro-inflammatory cytokine levels strongly correlated with neutrophil counts and systemic inflammatory markers but not with T cell subset alterations, suggesting distinct pathological pathways. These findings delineate a dual immunopathogenic state in acute CHIKV infection, involving concurrent effector T cell suppression and IL-1β-associated inflammatory response, which provides insights into potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for disease management.