Systemic Inflammatory Biomarkers in DSM-5-Defined Disorders and COVID-19: Evidence From Published Meta-analyses

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the novel SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) as a global pandemic. At the center of SARS-CoV-2 is the activation of in-flammatory markers; remarkably, interleukin 6 and C-reactive protein seem to be consistently elevated in patients with SARS-CoV-2. Here, we showed that increased systemic C-reactive protein and interleukin 6 are common biomarkers of both severe COVID-19 and DSM-5-defined disorders. However, it is not known whether patients with psychiatric disorders with preexisting increased interleukin 6 and C-reactive protein are more vulnerable to severe complications of COVID-19 because of the additive inflammatory processes.

Automated summary

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 as a global pandemic. In patients with SARS-CoV-2, inflammatory markers such as interleukin 6 and C-reactive protein are consistently elevated. This study investigates whether psychiatric patients with preexisting elevated interleukin 6 and C-reactive protein are more susceptible to severe COVID-19 complications.