Cytokine storm in severe patient COVID-19 and curative plasmapheresis

Abstract

Background: In the intensive care unit, the curative plasmapheresis technique is widely applied among severe patients, who show signs of both endogenous and exogenous intoxication. The impact of isovolemic isooncotic curative plasmapheresis on the status of hemoleukogram and immunological markers has not been studied yet. Material and methods: The study is retrospective, observational. The medical records of 34 COVID-19 patients from the COVID intensive care units of Timofei Mosneaga Republican Clinical Hospital who benefited from isovolemic, curative isooncotic plasmapheresis were analyzed. There were 25 complete, analyzed data sets. General data were recorded: preplasmapheresis, postplasmaphesis hemoleukogram. Results: Isovolemic, isooncotic plasmapheresis, performed in patients with severe COVID-19, SARS-CoV2 showed effects of improving the status of laboratory indices that denote the evolution and favorable prognosis of the disease. The activity of the cytokine storm decreased in both groups of patients, both in those with a mean age of up to 60 years and in those over 60 years of age, with p = 0.001. Patients over 60 years of age had a marked improvement in serum ferritin index, compared to patients in the age group up to 60 years, in the period after plasmapheresis, p = 0.043. Analogously, the level of C-reactive protein was analyzed, which clearly decreases in patients 60 years of age, p = 0.037 Conclusions: Isovolemic, isooncotic plasmapheresis is a procedure performed in severe COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) patients to improve the status of the cytokine storm. Moreover, the performance of the procedure in different age groups induced an improvement in the satiety of hemoleukogram and proinflammatory indices.

Keywords

• plasmapheresis
• cytokine storm
• immune status
• hemoleukogram