Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 21, 2025

Author Spotlight: Unveiling the Polyfunctionality and Heterogeneity in Immune Responses
09:43

Author Spotlight: Unveiling the Polyfunctionality and Heterogeneity in Immune Responses

Published on: March 8, 2024

2.0K

Cytokine Signature Associated With Disease Severity in COVID-19

Jing Guo1, Shuting Wang1, He Xia1

  • 1State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.

Frontiers in Immunology
|September 7, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Cytokine levels in COVID-19 patients correlate with disease severity and progression. Specific cytokines like IP-10 and M-CSF can predict severe outcomes, aiding early intervention for better prognosis.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Biomarker Discovery

Background:

  • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged as a global epidemic, necessitating early identification of disease severity and pathogenesis.
  • Understanding the host immune response, particularly cytokine profiles, is crucial for managing COVID-19 progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify novel cytokine and chemokine biomarkers for predicting COVID-19 severity and progression.
  • To investigate the correlation between cytokine levels and clinical parameters in COVID-19 patients.

Main Methods:

  • Analyzed 48 cytokines and chemokines in 75 COVID-19 patients, 34 healthy controls, and 23 influenza A(H1N1) patients using liquid chip technology.
  • Correlated cytokine levels with clinical severity scores (APACHE II), viral titers, and laboratory markers (creatinine, troponin I, INR, procalcitonin).
  • Performed univariate analyses to identify cytokines associated with COVID-19 severity.

Main Results:

  • 33 cytokines were significantly elevated in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls.
  • HGF and IL-1β correlated with APACHE II scores; IP-10, HGF, and IL-10 correlated with virus titers.
  • Six cytokines (G-CSF, HGF, IL-10, IL-18, M-CSF, SCGF-β) were associated with COVID-19 severity, with IP-10 and M-CSF showing excellent predictive value.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated serum cytokine levels in the early stages of COVID-19 are significantly correlated with disease severity.
  • Cytokines serve as valuable warning indicators for COVID-19 severity and progression.
  • Early disease stratification and interventions targeting hypercytokinemia may improve patient prognosis.

Keywords:
COVID-19SARS-CoV-2biomarkerdisease severityhypercytokinaemia

More Related Videos

Dissecting Innate Immune Signaling in Viral Evasion of Cytokine Production08:32

Dissecting Innate Immune Signaling in Viral Evasion of Cytokine Production

Published on: March 2, 2014

10.7K
Author Spotlight: Exploring the Role of Inflammation in the Co-occurrence of Primary Sjogren's Syndrome and Lung Adenocarcinoma10:21

Author Spotlight: Exploring the Role of Inflammation in the Co-occurrence of Primary Sjogren's Syndrome and Lung Adenocarcinoma

Published on: September 20, 2024

577

Related Concept Videos

The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway01:20

The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway

Several cytokine receptors have tightly bound Janus kinase or JAK proteins attached at their cytosolic tail. Small signaling molecules such as cytokines, growth hormones, or prolactins bind to the cytokine receptors and initiate their dimerization. The dimerization brings the cytosolic JAKs together that trans-phosphorylate and activates each other. The activated JAKs now phosphorylate cytosolic tails of the cytokine receptors, which serve as binding sites for adaptor proteins such as  SH2...
9.6K
COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features01:20

COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a group of lung conditions that progressively worsen over time, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. This cluster of diseases collectively leads to a gradual and irreversible decline in lung function over time.
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...
713
Cystic Fibrosis: Pathogenesis01:23

Cystic Fibrosis: Pathogenesis

Cystic fibrosis (CF), an autosomal recessive disorder, significantly affects the function of exocrine glands. This genetically inherited disease is characterized by the production of thick and sticky mucus, which can severely affect various organs and systems in the body.
CF is primarily caused by a genetic mutation in a chromosome 7 gene coding for the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. The most common gene mutation leading to CF is the ΔF508 mutation,...
434
Myocarditis II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Tests01:27

Myocarditis II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Tests

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle. The symptoms vary widely, encompassing asymptomatic presentations to severe, acute manifestations.Clinical PresentationAsymptomatic cases: In some instances, myocarditis may be asymptomatic, with the infection resolving without intervention. These cases often go undetected unless discovered incidentally through diagnostic imaging or tests conducted for other reasons.General Early Symptoms: Early symptoms of myocarditis are non-specific and can...
49