An Elevated Interleukin-6 and TNF-α levels as Predictors of Severity and Poor Outcomes in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients

Abstract

Introduction: This current research, measured Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in an attempt to explore their involvement in progression and clinical outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 among critically infected individuals was investigated

Methods: The current study comprises of 49 critically ill and 27 mildly infected COVID-19 patients in an isolation centre in Jigawa state, north-western Nigeria. COVID 19 was confirmed using RT-PCR while IL-6 and TNF-α were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay techniques (ELISA).

Results: The findings of this study revealed a statistically significant difference in cytokine levels between critically and those with mild infections. Additionally, cytokine levels were observed to be lower in survivors compared to those who succumbed to the illness.

Conclusion: Increased cytokines were observed in critically ill compared to the mildly infected ones. Furthermore, the study suggests hypercytokinemia in those patients who lost their lives than those who survived and subsequently discharged.