Unveiling COVID-19 Secrets: Harnessing Cytokines as Powerful Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Predicting Severity

Blanka Wolszczak-Biedrzycka; Justyna Dorf; Marzena Wojewódzka-Żelezniakowicz; Małgorzata Żendzian-Piotrowska; Violetta Joanna Dymicka-Piekarska; Joanna Matowicka-Karna; Mateusz Maciejczyk

doi:10.2147/JIR.S439217

Unveiling COVID-19 Secrets: Harnessing Cytokines as Powerful Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Predicting Severity

J Inflamm Res. 2023 Dec 11:16:6055-6070. doi: 10.2147/JIR.S439217. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Blanka Wolszczak-Biedrzycka¹, Justyna Dorf², Marzena Wojewódzka-Żelezniakowicz³, Małgorzata Żendzian-Piotrowska⁴, Violetta Joanna Dymicka-Piekarska², Joanna Matowicka-Karna², Mateusz Maciejczyk⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology and Sociology of Health and Public Health, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, 10-900, Poland.
² Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, 15-089, Poland.
³ Department of Emergency Medicine and Disasters, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, 15-089, Poland.
⁴ Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Ergonomics, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, 15-089, Poland.

Abstract

Introduction: In coronavirus disease (COVID-19), inflammation takes center stage, with a cascade of cytokines released, contributing to both inflammation and lung damage. The objective of this study is to identify biomarkers for diagnosing and predicting the severity of COVID-19.

Materials and methods: Cytokine levels were determined in the serum from venous blood samples collected from 100 patients with COVID-19 and 50 healthy controls. COVID-19 patients classified based on the Modified Early Warning (MEWS) score. Cytokine concentrations were determined with a multiplex ELISA kit (Bio-Plex Pro™ Human Cytokine Screening Panel).

Results: The concentrations of all analyzed cytokines were elevated in the serum of COVID-19 patients relative to the control group, but no significant differences were observed in interleukin-9 (IL-9) and IL-12 p70 levels. In addition, the concentrations of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-1ra, IL-2Rα, IL-6, IL-12 p40, IL-18, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) were significantly higher in symptomatic patients with accompanying pneumonia without respiratory failure (stage 2) than in asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic patients (stage 1).

Conclusion: The study revealed that IL-1ra, IL-2Rα, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12 p40, IL-16, and IL-18 levels serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers in COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, elevated IL-1α levels proved to be valuable in assessing the severity of COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; MEWS score; biomarkers; cytokines; diagnosis; severity.