Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (Jun 2022)

Cytokine Profiles Associated With Acute COVID-19 and Long COVID-19 Syndrome

  • Maria Alice Freitas Queiroz,
  • Pablo Fabiano Moura das Neves,
  • Sandra Souza Lima,
  • Jeferson da Costa Lopes,
  • Jeferson da Costa Lopes,
  • Maria Karoliny da Silva Torres,
  • Maria Karoliny da Silva Torres,
  • Izaura Maria Vieira Cayres Vallinoto,
  • Izaura Maria Vieira Cayres Vallinoto,
  • Carlos David Araújo Bichara,
  • Carlos David Araújo Bichara,
  • Erika Ferreira dos Santos,
  • Erika Ferreira dos Santos,
  • Mioni Thieli Figueiredo Magalhães de Brito,
  • Andréa Luciana Soares da Silva,
  • Mauro de Meira Leite,
  • Mauro de Meira Leite,
  • Flávia Póvoa da Costa,
  • Flávia Póvoa da Costa,
  • Maria de Nazaré do Socorro de Almeida Viana,
  • Maria de Nazaré do Socorro de Almeida Viana,
  • Fabíola Brasil Barbosa Rodrigues,
  • Fabíola Brasil Barbosa Rodrigues,
  • Kevin Matheus Lima de Sarges,
  • Kevin Matheus Lima de Sarges,
  • Marcos Henrique Damasceno Cantanhede,
  • Marcos Henrique Damasceno Cantanhede,
  • Rosilene da Silva,
  • Rosilene da Silva,
  • Clea Nazaré Carneiro Bichara,
  • Ana Virgínia Soares van den Berg,
  • Adriana de Oliveira Lameira Veríssimo,
  • Mayara da Silva Carvalho,
  • Daniele Freitas Henriques,
  • Carla Pinheiro dos Santos,
  • Juliana Abreu Lima Nunes,
  • Iran Barros Costa,
  • Giselle Maria Rachid Viana,
  • Francisca Regina Oliveira Carneiro,
  • Vera Regina da Cunha Menezes Palacios,
  • Juarez Antonio Simões Quaresma,
  • Igor Brasil-Costa,
  • Eduardo José Melo dos Santos,
  • Luiz Fábio Magno Falcão,
  • Antonio Carlos Rosário Vallinoto

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2022.922422
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12

Abstract

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The duration and severity of COVID-19 are related to age, comorbidities, and cytokine synthesis. This study evaluated the impact of these factors on patients with clinical presentations of COVID-19 in a Brazilian cohort. A total of 317 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were included; cases were distributed according to clinical status as severe (n=91), moderate (n=56) and mild (n=170). Of these patients, 92 had acute COVID-19 at sample collection, 90 had already recovered from COVID-19 without sequelae, and 135 had sequelae (long COVID syndrome). In the acute COVID-19 group, patients with the severe form had higher IL-6 levels (p=0.0260). In the post-COVID-19 group, there was no significant difference in cytokine levels between groups with different clinical conditions. In the acute COVID-19 group, younger patients had higher levels of TNF-α, and patients without comorbidities had higher levels of TNF-α, IL-4 and IL-2 (p<0.05). In contrast, patients over age 60 with comorbidities had higher levels of IL-6. In the post-COVID-19 group, subjects with long COVID-19 had higher levels of IL-17 and IL-2 (p<0.05), and subjects without sequelae had higher levels of IL-10, IL-6 and IL- 4 (p<0.05). Our results suggest that advanced age, comorbidities and elevated serum IL-6 levels are associated with severe COVID-19 and are good markers to differentiate severe from mild cases. Furthermore, high serum levels of IL-17 and IL-2 and low levels of IL-4 and IL-10 appear to constitute a cytokine profile of long COVID-19, and these markers are potential targets for COVID-19 treatment and prevention strategies.

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