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Detection of the Serum Cytokines Predicts COVID-19 Pathogenesis in Egyptian Patients
Lamiaa Mobarak1, Mohamed Shemis2, Raghda Samir Abdellatif3
1Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt.
Insights
Elevated interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) cytokine levels are linked to severe COVID-19. IL-6 serum levels can help distinguish between moderate and critically ill patients.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Cytokine storms, a severe immune response, contribute to organ damage in various diseases.
- Cytokine storms are implicated in the pathogenesis of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
- Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) are key inflammatory mediators in COVID-19.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 in COVID-19 patients with varying disease severity.
- To determine the potential of these cytokines as biomarkers for COVID-19 severity.
Main Methods:
- Serum samples were collected from 79 COVID-19 patients (moderate, severe, critically ill) and 20 healthy controls.
- Levels of IL-6 and IL-10 were measured using standard laboratory techniques.
- Statistical analysis and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed.
Main Results:
- COVID-19 patients exhibited significantly elevated IL-6 and IL-10 levels compared to healthy controls.
- IL-6 levels were significantly higher in patients, with variations noted between moderate and critically ill groups.
- IL-10 showed a significant difference only between critically ill patients and controls.
- IL-6 levels >120 pg/mL predicted moderate and critically ill patients with high sensitivity (90.48%).
Conclusions:
- Serum IL-6 and IL-10 levels are elevated in COVID-19 patients.
- IL-6 serves as a potential noninvasive biomarker for differentiating moderate from critically ill COVID-19 patients.
Abstract:
Cytokine storms can be triggered by various infectious or noninfectious diseases and cause severe damages to multiple organs. Cytokine storm plays an important role in the pathogenesis of severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The pathogenesis of COVID-19 involves a potent inflammatory response involving a complex group of mediators, including interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10. In this study, the serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 cytokines were evaluated in 79 COVID-19 infected patients from the National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt. And 20 healthy individuals served as a control group. The patients were divided into moderate, severe, and critically ill. In this study, IL-6 and IL-10 levels were significantly elevated in COVID-19 patients compared with healthy controls. IL-6 levels were significantly higher in patients compared with controls (p = 0.001), although it was not varied within different severity groups except for moderate-critical ill cases (p < 0.033). IL-10 only showed a significant difference between critically ill and control cases (p < 0.002). Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses showed that IL-6 levels >120 pg/mL can predict moderate and critically ill patients with a sensitivity of 90.48% and a specificity of 62.50%, Area Under the Curve <0.0001. In conclusion, the serum levels of IL-6 cytokine are important noninvasive biomarkers to differentiate between moderate and critically ill COVID-19 infected patients.
