PLoS ONE (Jan 2022)

Interleukin-17, a salivary biomarker for COVID-19 severity.

  • Fatemeh Saheb Sharif-Askari,
  • Narjes Saheb Sharif-Askari,
  • Shirin Hafezi,
  • Bushra Mdkhana,
  • Hawra Ali Hussain Alsayed,
  • Abdul Wahid Ansari,
  • Bassam Mahboub,
  • Adel M Zakeri,
  • Mohamad-Hani Temsah,
  • Walid Zahir,
  • Qutayba Hamid,
  • Rabih Halwani

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274841
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 9
p. e0274841

Abstract

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ObjectivesT-helper 17 cell-mediated response and their effector IL-17 cytokine induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is a major cause of COVID-19 disease severity and death. Therefore, the study aimed to determine if IL-17 level in saliva mirrors its circulatory level and hence can be used as a non-invasive biomarker for disease severity.MethodsInterleukin-17 (IL-17) level was evaluated by ELISA in saliva and blood of 201 adult COVID-19 patients with different levels of severity. The IL-17 saliva level was also associated with COVID-19 disease severity, and need for mechanical ventilation and/or death within 29 days after admission of severe COVID-19 patients.ResultsWe found that IL-17 level in saliva of COVID-19 patients reflected its circulatory level. High IL-17 level in saliva was associated with COVID-19 severity (PConclusionWe propose that saliva IL-17 level could be used as a biomarker to identify patients at risk of developing severe COVID-19.