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Enoxaparin Effect on Interleukin-10 Levels in Iraqi Patients with COVID-19: A Case-Control Study
Nawal Haider Al-Hashimi1, Mohammed S Al-Hindawi1, Ali M Mohsen1
1Applied Sciences Department, University of Technology-Iraq, 10001 Baghdad, Iraq.
Insights
This study found higher interleukin-10 (IL-10) and D-dimer levels in COVID-19 patients compared to controls. Enoxaparin treatment reduced these markers, suggesting IL-10 as a potential disease activity marker.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-COV-2, presents with mild to moderate respiratory symptoms.
- Understanding COVID-19's impact on immune markers is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare serum interleukin-10 (IL-10) and other parameters in Iraqi COVID-19 patients versus healthy controls.
- To investigate the effect of enoxaparin on these markers.
- To evaluate IL-10's potential as a marker for COVID-19 disease activity.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 90 COVID-19 patients and 90 healthy controls.
- Serum IL-10 levels measured using ELISA; other parameters assessed via colorimetric methods.
- Patients were categorized based on enoxaparin usage.
Main Results:
- COVID-19 patients exhibited significantly elevated IL-10, D-dimer, and C-reactive protein (CRP) compared to controls.
- Enoxaparin treatment correlated with reduced IL-10, D-dimer, and CRP levels.
- No significant alterations were observed in liver and renal function tests between groups.
Conclusions:
- A strong positive correlation exists between serum IL-10 and CRP levels in COVID-19 patients.
- Elevated IL-10, D-dimer, and other parameters indicate increased disease activity.
- Enoxaparin may help manage IL-10 and D-dimer concentrations, positioning IL-10 as a potential disease activity biomarker.
Background:
Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), an infectious disease resulting from a virus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2), was discovered in China in 2019 and causes several mild to moderate respiratory conditions. This study aimed to reveal the changes in serum interleukin-10 (IL-10) and other parameters in Iraqi COVID-19 patients compared with healthy controls by studying the effects of enoxaparin and evaluating the potential of IL-10 as a disease activity marker.
Methods:
This was a case-control study that included 180 samples: 90 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from November 2022 to 20 April 2023 (40 patients had never used enoxaparin, whereas 50 patients had taken enoxaparin) and 90 healthy, age- and sex-matched control. There were 44 female patients and 46 male patients. The mean age of the patients and controls was 53.8 years vs. 50.8 years, respectively. The sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used to measure IL-10 levels, while other parameters were assessed using the colorimetric method.
Results:
The results of the study indicated highly significant changes between the patients and healthy controls in IL-10, D-dimer, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, as well as liver and renal functions. These findings elucidated a significant change between enoxaparin patients and non-enoxaparin patients in IL-10, D-dimer, and CRP levels. However, the liver and renal functions were not significantly altered. The Spearman's rank correlation test investigated the relationship between serum IL-10 and CRP.
Conclusions:
The results displayed a strong positive relationship between IL-10 and CRP. There were no significant differences between the other analyzed parameters; consequently, the patients had higher concentrations of IL-10, D-dimer, and some other parameters than the healthy controls. Additionally, IL-10 may be used as a marker of disease activity. Enoxaparin will likely help control IL-10 and D-dimer concentrations in patients since IL-10 levels decreased in patients treated with enoxaparin.
