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The effect of IGF-1 plasma concentration on COVID-19 severity
Ebrahim Hazrati1, Mohammad Gholami2, Ramin Hamidi Farahani3
1Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Faculty of Medicine, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Insights
Lower insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels are linked to severe COVID-19. This suggests IGF-1 may be a target for treating critical coronavirus infections, potentially through supplementation or anti-inflammatory therapies.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- COVID-19 severity varies, influenced by host immune response.
- Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) modulates the endocrine and immune systems.
- The role of IGF-1 in COVID-19 prognosis is an emerging area of research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare circulating IGF-1 and inflammatory cytokine levels in severe vs. mild COVID-19 patients.
- To assess the relationship between IGF-1, IL-6, and COVID-19 disease severity.
Main Methods:
- Enrolled 80 COVID-19 patients (40 severe/ICU, 40 mild).
- Ensured no significant differences in gender or pre-existing inflammatory state between groups.
- Quantified serum IGF-1 and IL-6 concentrations using ELISA.
Main Results:
- Severe COVID-19 patients exhibited significantly lower IGF-1 serum concentrations (P ≤ 0.001).
- Severe COVID-19 patients showed significantly higher IL-6 serum concentrations, an inflammatory marker.
- Hospitalized patients with less severe disease had increased IGF-1 and decreased IL-6.
Conclusions:
- Low IGF-1 concentrations correlate with severe COVID-19.
- Elevated IL-6 in severe COVID-19 may indicate reduced immune defenses due to suppressed IGF-1.
- IGF-1 pathway modulation (e.g., supplementation, anti-inflammatory treatment) warrants further investigation for COVID-19 therapeutic strategies.
Background:
The severity and fatality of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection are not the same in the infected population. The host immune response and Immune-stimulating factors appear to play a role in COVID-19 infection outcome. insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) affects the immune system by controlling the endocrine system. Recently, the effect of IGF-1 levels on COVID-19 prognosis has been considered.
Objective:
To investigate the difference between circulating IGF-1 and inflammatory cytokines concentration among COVID-19 patients, infected patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (n = 40; 35 ± 5 y) and patients with mild cases of COVID-19 (n = 40; 35 ± 5 y) were screened prior to participation in the study. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of gender and preexisting inflammatory state. Collected samples were evaluated by ELISA for IGF-1 and IL-6.
Results:
The study outcomes included a significant decrease in IGF-1 and an increase in IL-6 serum concentration, as an inflammatory marker, for infected patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (P ≤ 0.001). Finally, there was a significant increase in the IGF-1 and a decrease in the IL-6 serum concentration of hospitalized patients.
Discussion:
it appears that inflammatory cytokines (IL-6) serum concentration in the severe form of corona virus-based infections causes reduced defenses because of suppressed IGF-1.
Conclusions:
Our findings show that lower IGF-1 concentrations are associated with a Severe form of COVID-19 disease. It seems, IGF-1 supplementation or anti-inflammatory treatment rescued the severe form of COVID-19 infection. Further studies are required to determine how to design COVID-19 therapeutic strategies targeting the IGF-1 pathway.
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