Effect of IL-6, IL-8/CXCL8, IP-10/CXCL 10 levels on the severity in COVID 19 infection

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Virology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, emerged in December 2019, necessitating effective prognostic markers.
• Identifying laboratory markers is crucial for predicting the clinical progression of COVID-19.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Interleukin-8 (IL-8/CXCL8), and Interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10/CXCL10) levels in COVID-19 patients.
• To assess biochemical parameters associated with SARS, MERS, and SARS-CoV-2 infections.
• To determine the prognostic significance of these markers in healthy volunteers and patients with varying COVID-19 severity.

Main Methods:

• Inclusion of healthy volunteers (n=30) and patients with mild-moderate (n=30) and severe (n=30) COVID-19.
• Assessment of serum IL-6, IL-8, and IP-10 levels, along with biochemical parameters.
• Statistical analysis to determine correlations between measured parameters and disease severity.

Main Results:

• Serum levels of IL-6, IL-8, and IP-10 were significantly highest in severe COVID-19 patients (P=.001).
• Mild-moderate COVID-19 patients showed higher levels of these cytokines compared to healthy volunteers (P=.001).
• Strong positive correlations were observed between IL-8 and IL-6 (r=0.660), IP-10 and IL-6 (r=0.599), and IP-10 and IL-8 (r=0.729).

Conclusions:

• Significant differences in WBC, neutrophil, lymphocyte, hemoglobin, BUN, total protein, albumin, d-dimer, and sedimentation were noted between groups.
• Elevated IL-6, IL-8, IP-10, CRP, PCT, and LY parameters are associated with increased COVID-19 severity.
• These biomarkers hold potential significance for predicting COVID-19 disease severity.