Cytokine Storm Forecast
A test has been developed that predicts the severe form of COVID-19
British scientists have developed an analysis that allows the profile of five cytokines in a patient's blood to predict how difficult COVID-19 will be for him. The results of the study are published in the journal Respiratory Research (Burke et al., Inflammatory phenotyping predicts clinical outcome in COVID-19).
Cytokines are cellular signaling molecules that trigger a reaction in the blood, the end product of which is lymphocytes – protective immune cells. It is known that in some patients with severe COVID-19, the immune system reacts to the coronavirus too violently, which leads to an excessive increase in the level of cytokines in the blood – a cytokine storm.
In this case, cytokines, instead of helping the body fight the virus, cause hyperinflammation, destructive to the cells and tissues of the body. This greatly complicates the course of the disease and often leads to death.
Scientists from the University of Southampton decided to find out whether it is possible to identify a predisposition to a cytokine storm during hospitalization by analyzing cytokines in the blood and, thus, identify patients with the greatest risk of deterioration in order to adjust treatment accordingly.
They analyzed blood samples from 100 patients with a positive reaction to COVID-19 who were admitted to the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS) between March 20 and April 29, 2020, during the first phase of the pandemic.
It turned out that people with high blood levels of cytokines IL-6, IL-8, TNF, IL-1ß and IL-33, especially the latter two, are at risk of an excessive immune reaction. Such patients, the authors believe, should be immediately placed in an intensive care unit with the possibility of operative connection to a ventilator.
"Our results show that testing for cytokines at the place of medical care is possible, and in the future it will help to select the appropriate treatment almost in real time," the university press release quotes the words of one of the authors of the study, Dr. Tristan Clark (Tristan Clark). – It is becoming increasingly obvious that COVID is very heterogeneous. Only by applying such methods to stratify the condition, we will be able to focus treatment on the key mechanisms of the disease for each individual."
The authors believe that by precisely determining which cytokines cause hyperinflammation in each patient with COVID-19, doctors will be able to implement an individual approach known as "precision medicine". In particular, the IL–33 blocker drug is already being tested in the UK, scientists say.
The study was part of the CoV-19POC project implemented at the University Hospital of Southampton under the supervision of Dr. Clark. The project is exploring the possibilities of clinical application of molecular testing in places of medical care for patients with suspected COVID-19.
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