Interleukin 6, As a « Target Molecule », in the Assessment of the Severity of Sars-Cov-2 Infection
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47363/JCCEM/2023(2)138Keywords:
Interleukin, Il6, Covid-19, Sars-Cov-2, Cytokine Storm, SeverityAbstract
Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 is an emerging virus, responsible for pulmonary and systemic tissue damage. We suggest that Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is the key
molecule of inflammatory mediators.
Aim of the study: We aimed to highlight the importance of IL-6 as a prognostic marker of the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Methods: It is a prospective, cross-sectional study including 70 patients affected with COVID19, admitted in our hospital, from September 2020 to January 2021 (during the first wave).
Results: We included 70 patients. The mean age was 64 years with a male predominance (sex-ratio=3.1). Twenty-six patients were active smokers (37.1%). Hypertension was the most common comorbidity (51.4%) followed by Diabetes (28.6%) and dyslipidemia (17.2%). The common clinical manifestations at admission were fever (68.1%), dyspnea (59%) and fatigue (46%). The mean IL-6 level was 7.3 ±3.6pg/ml. Multivariate analysis showed that high Il-6 is associated with severe form of the disease on admission (OR: 1.8, CI: 1.02-1.9, p=0.004) and intensive care unit referrals (OR: 2.8, CI: 2.02-4, p=0.001).
Conclusion: To conclude, we do underline the importance of IL-6 as a prognostic biomarker in the assessment of the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further studies are required in order to highlight the beneficial effects of Interleukin-6 inhibitors to treat these severe forms.
