FIG. 5.

Analysis of cytokine and anti-SARS CoV spike Ab levels in the plasma of SARS patients. (A through D) Five patient groups for cytokine analysis were chosen: (i) non-corticosteroid-treated, precrisis SARS (n = 8); (ii) corticosteroid-treated, precrisis SARS (n = 6); (iii) crisis with an SO₂ of ≥91% at the time (n = 8); (iv) crisis with an SO₂ of <91% at the time (n = 5); and (v) healthy controls (n = 10). The box-and-whisker plots present the 50% interquartile ranges, maximum values excluding outliers (o), and medians. There were no significant differences in protein levels between healthy controls and SARS patients at discharge (data not shown). (E) Four patient groups emerged during analysis of plasma anti-SARS spike Ab levels: (i) precrisis severe-SARS patients (n = 5; median age, 57 years); (ii) precrisis nonsevere-SARS patients (n = 4; median age, 37 years); (iii) severe-SARS patients at crisis (n = 8; median age, 37 years); and (iv) nonsevere SARS patients at crisis (n = 5, median age, 37 years). Anti-SARS spike Abs were first detected in patients at a median of 6 DSO regardless of severity. Anti-SARS spike Abs were not detected in healthy controls (data not shown). *, P < 0.05; **, P value of <0.05 in pairwise comparison to each of the other four groups.