The COVID-19 Cytokine Storm; What We Know So Far

Dina Ragab; Haitham Salah Eldin; Mohamed Taeimah; Rasha Khattab; Ramy Salem

doi:10.3389/fimmu.2020.01446

Frontiers in Immunology (Jun 2020)

The COVID-19 Cytokine Storm; What We Know So Far

Dina Ragab,
Haitham Salah Eldin,
Mohamed Taeimah,
Rasha Khattab,
Ramy Salem

Affiliations

Dina Ragab: Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
Haitham Salah Eldin: Department of Chest Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
Mohamed Taeimah: Department of Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Management, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
Rasha Khattab: Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
Ramy Salem: Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2020.01446
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11

Abstract

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COVID-19 is a rapidly spreading global threat that has been declared as a pandemic by the WHO. COVID-19 is transmitted via droplets or direct contact and infects the respiratory tract resulting in pneumonia in most of the cases and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in about 15 % of the cases. Mortality in COVID-19 patients has been linked to the presence of the so-called “cytokine storm” induced by the virus. Excessive production of proinflammatory cytokines leads to ARDS aggravation and widespread tissue damage resulting in multi-organ failure and death. Targeting cytokines during the management of COVID-19 patients could improve survival rates and reduce mortality.

Published in Frontiers in Immunology

ISSN: 1664-3224 (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Specialties of internal medicine: Immunologic diseases. Allergy
Website: http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/immunology

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