Almazov National Medical Research Centre, 197341 St. Petersburg, Russia.
Institute of Experimental Medicine, 197376 St. Petersburg, Russia.
Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Aug 10;23(16):8879. doi: 10.3390/ijms23168879.
Hypercytokinemia, found in SARS-CoV-2 infection, contributes to multiple organ dysfunctions with acute respiratory distress syndrome, shock etc. The aim of this study was to describe cytokine storm signatures in patients with acute COVID-19 and to investigate their influence on severity of the infection. Plasma levels of 47 cytokines were investigated in 73 patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 (41 and 32, respectively) and 11 healthy donors (HD). The most elevated levels comparing patients and the HD were observed for seven pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, IL-15, IL-18, IL-27, IFNγ, TNFα), three chemokines (GROα, IP-10, MIG), two anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1RA, IL-10), and two growth factors (G-CSF, M-CSF). The patients with severe disease had significantly higher levels of FGF-2/FGF-basic, IL-1β, and IL-7 compared to the HD. The two groups of patients differed from each other only based on the levels of EGF, eotaxin, and IL-12 p40. Pneumonia lung injury, characterized by computer tomography, positively correlated with levels of EGF, IP-10, MCP-3 levels and negatively with IL-12 p40. Pro-inflammatory factors including IL-6, TNFα, and IP-10 negatively correlated with the frequency of the circulating T-helper17-like cells (Th17-like) and follicular Th cells that are crucial to develop SARS-CoV-2-specific plasma cells and memory B cells. Obtained data on the cytokine levels illustrate their influence on progression and severity of COVID-19.
细胞因子风暴,在 SARS-CoV-2 感染中被发现,与急性呼吸窘迫综合征、休克等多种器官功能障碍有关。本研究旨在描述急性 COVID-19 患者的细胞因子风暴特征,并探讨其对感染严重程度的影响。在 73 例中度和重度 COVID-19 患者(分别为 41 例和 32 例)和 11 例健康供体(HD)中研究了 47 种细胞因子的血浆水平。与患者和 HD 相比,七种促炎细胞因子(IL-6、IL-8、IL-15、IL-18、IL-27、IFNγ、TNFα)、三种趋化因子(GROα、IP-10、MIG)、两种抗炎细胞因子(IL-1RA、IL-10)和两种生长因子(G-CSF、M-CSF)的水平升高最为明显。与 HD 相比,重症患者的 FGF-2/FGF-basic、IL-1β 和 IL-7 水平显著升高。两组患者仅在 EGF、嗜酸性粒细胞趋化因子和 IL-12 p40 的水平上存在差异。肺炎性肺损伤,特征为计算机断层扫描,与 EGF、IP-10、MCP-3 水平呈正相关,与 IL-12 p40 呈负相关。促炎因子包括 IL-6、TNFα 和 IP-10 与循环 T 辅助 17 样细胞(Th17 样)和滤泡 T 细胞的频率呈负相关,而 Th17 样细胞和滤泡 T 细胞对于产生 SARS-CoV-2 特异性浆细胞和记忆 B 细胞至关重要。细胞因子水平的研究数据说明了它们对 COVID-19 进展和严重程度的影响。