Hyper-inflammatory responses induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are a major cause of disease severity and death. Predictive prognosis biomarkers to guide therapeutics are critically lacking. Several studies have indicated a “cytokine storm” with the release of interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, and IL-8, along with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and other inflammatory mediators. Here, we proposed to assess the relationship between IL-6 and outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Our cohort consisted of 46 adult patients with PCR-proven SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted in a COVID-19 ward of the Hospital de Braga (HB) from April 7 to May 7, 2020, whose IL-6 levels were followed over time. We found that IL-6 levels were significantly different between the disease stages. Also, we found a significant negative correlation between IL-6 levels during stages IIb and III, peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ), and partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO 2 ), showing that IL-6 correlates with respiratory failure. Compared to the inflammatory markers available in the clinic routine, we found a positive correlation between IL-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP). However, when we assessed the predictive value of these two markers, IL-6 behaves as a better predictor of disease progression. In a binary logistic regression, IL-6 level was the most significant predictor of the non-survivors group, when compared to age and CRP. Herein, we present IL-6 as a relevant tool for prognostic evaluation, mainly as a predictor of outcome.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Biomarker, IL-6, fatal pneumonia, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, Necrosis, Tumor, Coronavirus disease 2019, Cytokine storm, coronavirus, Respiratory failure, Prognosis, Therapeutics, IL-6, SARS-COV-2 infection, disease severity, inflammatory markers, interleukin-1, C-reactive protein, CRP, oxygen, outcome, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus, Predictive value, Disease progression, Cohort, interleukin, tumor necrosis factor, response, Patient, death, IL-8, Logistic regression, Alpha, age, Inflammatory marker, prognostic, respiratory, IL-1, Blood, Inflammatory mediators, IL-6 levels, Predictive, tumor necrosis, arterial blood, partial pressure, Binary logistic regression, tumor necrosis factor alpha, acute respiratory syndrome, Partial pressure of oxygen, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, stages, peripheral oxygen saturation, positive correlation, significant negative correlation, Stage, TNFα, disease stages, Hospital de Braga, Hyper-inflammatory responses, non-survivor, significantly, indicated, the disease, “cytokine storm”, IIb and III, IL-6 level, PaO, 【제목키워드】 coronavirus 2, development,