Higher levels of IL-1ra, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, MIP-3α, MIP-3β, and fractalkine are associated with 90-day mortality in 132 non-immunomodulated hospitalized patients with COVID-19

by Liv Rabøl Andersen, Bettina Hindsberger, Simone Bastrup Israelsen, Lise Pedersen, Pal Bela Szecsi, Thomas Benfield

Immune dysregulation with an excessive release of cytokines has been identified as a key driver in the development of severe COVID-19. The aim of this study was to evaluate the initial cytokine profile associated with 90-day mortality and respiratory failure in a cohort of patients hospitalized with COVID 19 that did not receive immunomodulatory therapy.

Levels of 45 cytokines were measured in blood samples obtained at admission from patients with confirmed COVID-19. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to determine the association between cytokine levels and outcomes. The primary outcome was death within 90 days from admission and the secondary outcome was need for mechanical ventilation.

A total of 132 patients were included during the spring of 2020. We found that one anti-inflammatory cytokine, one pro-inflammatory cytokine, and five chemokines were associated with the odds of 90-day mortality, specifically: interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, macrophage inflammatory protein-3α, macrophage inflammatory protein-3β, and fractalkine. All but fractalkine were also associated with the odds of respiratory failure during admission. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 showed the strongest estimate of association with both outcomes.

We showed that one anti-inflammatory cytokine, one pro-inflammatory cytokine, and five chemokines were associated with 90-day mortality in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 that did not receive immunomodulatory therapy.