Background Emerging evidence indicates a potential role for monocytes in COVID-19 immunopathology. We investigated two soluble markers of monocyte activation, sCD14 and sCD163, in COVID-19 patients, with the aim of characterizing their potential role in monocyte-macrophage disease immunopathology. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind. Methods Fifty-nine SARS-Cov-2 positive hospitalized patients, classified according to ICU or non-ICU admission requirement, were prospectively recruited and analyzed by ELISA for levels of sCD14 and sCD163, along with other laboratory parameters, and compared to a healthy control group. Results sCD14 and sCD163 levels were significantly higher among COVID-19 patients, independently of ICU admission requirement, compared to the control group. We found a significant correlation between sCD14 levels and other inflammatory markers, particularly Interleukin-6, in the non-ICU patients group. sCD163 showed a moderate positive correlation with the time lapsed from admission to sampling, independently of severity group. Treatment with corticoids showed an interference with sCD14 levels, whereas hydroxychloroquine and tocilizumab did not. Conclusions Monocyte-macrophage activation markers are increased and correlate with other inflammatory markers in SARS-Cov-2 infection, in association to hospital admission. These data suggest a preponderant role for monocyte-macrophage activation in the development of immunopathology of COVID-19 patients.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, immunopathology, monocyte, sCD163, sCD14, 【초록키워드】 Hydroxychloroquine, Tocilizumab, knowledge, severity, Infection, inflammatory markers, hospitalized patients, ELISA, ICU, ICU admission, Laboratory parameters, Hospital admission, Inflammatory marker, correlation, disease, Admission, moderate, COVID-19 patients, association, marker, Evidence, Activation, control group, Monocyte activation, healthy control, positive correlation, non-ICU, positive, corticoid, Result, analyzed, recruited, investigated, monocyte-macrophage, indicate, significantly higher, non-ICU patient, 【제목키워드】 role, Level, Increased,