Levels of Cytokines In SARS-Cov-2 Infected Patients

Abstract

Cytokine dysregulation is the proposed mechanism for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to evaluate the serum levels of interleukin (IL)‐2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- α, IL-1β, interferons (IFN)-α, IFN-β, IFN-γ, and IL-10 in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. The study was conducted in 120 adult patients with COVID‐19 and compared with 40 age and gender-matched healthy subjects as controls. The age range in both groups was 18–70 years. The patients were classified into the mild/moderate group (60 patients) and the severe group (60 patients). Serum samples were collected from all participants and tested for cytokine levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Statistical analysis was performed using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Serum cytokines in SARS-CoV-2 patients, which indicate the host's immune responses against the coronavirus inflammation, seem different from what has been observed with other viral pathogens. The difference in the serum levels of IL-2, TNF-α, INF-α, INF-β, and IL-10 between the two groups was insignificant. However, higher levels of IL-2, TNF-α, and INF-β are reported in mild COVID-19 patients compared to healthy individuals and severe COVID-19 patients. Varying levels of cytokines were detected in the COVID-19 group than in the control group, suggesting distinct immunoregulatory mechanisms involved in COVID-19 pathogenesis.