<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>COVID-19 has proven to be a disease that affects not only the respiratory tract but also leads to a state of generalized systemic hyperinflammation and overall immune dysregulation. An important role in its pathogenesis is the disturbance of many cytokines – a condition which, in its most pronounced form, is also called a „cytokine storm“.</p>
<sec>
<h3>Objective</h3>
<p>To evaluate the serum cytokine levels during COVID-19 infection as potential biomarkers for the severity and course of infection.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Materials and methods</h3>
<p>By design, the study is a retrospective cross-sectional, in which the serum concentrations of 10 pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α, and GM-CSF) were investigated in 36 individuals (divided into 3 groups by severity – with a mild form of the infection/presymptomatic, moderately severe and severe/critical) within two periods – before and after the second week from the onset of symptoms of the disease.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Results</h3>
<p>In the period up to the 2nd week, the serum concentrations of IFN-γ (p = 0.029), IL-1β (p = 0.017), and IL-5 (p = 0.014) showed a statistically significant correlation with the disease severity, however in the later stage of the disease the cytokine levels did not show any clinical value.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Cytokine testing could be used to predict the severity of COVID-19 infection which could support individual therapeutic decisions. Analysis of a larger group of patients is needed to unfold the full potential of such testing.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

COVID-19 has proven to be a disease that affects not only the respiratory tract but also leads to a state of generalized systemic hyperinflammation and overall immune dysregulation. An important role in its pathogenesis is the disturbance of many cytokines – a condition which, in its most pronounced form, is also called a „cytokine storm“.

Objective
To evaluate the serum cytokine levels during COVID-19 infection as potential biomarkers for the severity and course of infection.


Materials and methods
By design, the study is a retrospective cross-sectional, in which the serum concentrations of 10 pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α, and GM-CSF) were investigated in 36 individuals (divided into 3 groups by severity – with a mild form of the infection/presymptomatic, moderately severe and severe/critical) within two periods – before and after the second week from the onset of symptoms of the disease.


Results
In the period up to the 2nd week, the serum concentrations of IFN-γ (p = 0.029), IL-1β (p = 0.017), and IL-5 (p = 0.014) showed a statistically significant correlation with the disease severity, however in the later stage of the disease the cytokine levels did not show any clinical value.


Conclusion
Cytokine testing could be used to predict the severity of COVID-19 infection which could support individual therapeutic decisions. Analysis of a larger group of patients is needed to unfold the full potential of such testing.

Changes in the Cytokine Profile in Patients During COVID-19 Infection

Acta Medica Bulgarica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Changes in the Cytokine Profile in Patients During COVID-19 Infection"}

COVID-19 has proven to be a disease that affects not only the respiratory tract but also leads to a state of generalized systemic hyperinflammation and overall...

Changes in the Cytokine Profile in Patients During COVID-19 Infection

Article Category: Original Article

Published Online: Dec 15, 2023

Page range: 5 - 12

Received: May 29, 2023

Accepted: Sep 12, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/amb-2023-0036

© 2023 N. Ivanov et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.