Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 10, 2025

High-throughput Quantitative Real-time RT-PCR Assay for Determining Expression Profiles of Types I and III Interferon Subtypes
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High-throughput Quantitative Real-time RT-PCR Assay for Determining Expression Profiles of Types I and III Interferon Subtypes

Published on: March 24, 2015

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Downregulation of type III interferons in patients with severe COVID-19

Yosuke Fukuda1, Tetsuya Homma1, Hideki Inoue1

  • 1Division of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Department of Medicine, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Journal of Medical Virology
|April 3, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Severe COVID-19 patients show distinct immune marker profiles. Lower levels of type III interferons (IFN-λs) were observed in severe cases, suggesting a role in disease progression.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pulmonology

Background:

  • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses a significant global health challenge.
  • Understanding COVID-19 pathophysiology is crucial for managing disease burden.
  • Immune responses, including cytokine and chemokine profiles, are key to disease severity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate serum cytokine and chemokine levels in COVID-19 patients.
  • To correlate these levels with disease severity.
  • To identify potential biomarkers for COVID-19 severity.

Main Methods:

  • Observational study at a single center.
  • Included 72 consecutive COVID-19 patients.
  • Classified patients into mild and severe groups based on MHLW criteria.
  • Compared serum cytokine/chemokine levels on admission between groups.

Main Results:

  • Severe COVID-19 patients exhibited higher levels of fibrinogen, d-dimer, lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, ferritin, Krebs von den Lungen-6, surfactant protein (SP)-D, and SP-A.
  • Significantly lower levels of interleukin (IL)-28A/interferon (IFN)-λ2 were found in the severe group.
  • Elevated markers suggest inflammation and tissue damage in severe cases.

Conclusions:

  • Alterations in cytokine and chemokine profiles are associated with COVID-19 severity.
  • Reduced type III interferons (IFN-λs) may contribute to disease progression.
  • These findings highlight potential therapeutic targets and prognostic markers.

Keywords:
COVID-19IFN-lambdaSARS-CoV-2chemokinecytokinetype III interferon

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