Transient plasma cell dyscrasia in COVID-19 patients linked to IL-6 triggering

An unusual clonal gammopathy was reported in COVID-19 patient but whether this anomaly is related or not to the disease has not yet been clarified. To this aim, we selected a cohort of 35 COVID-19 patients swab positive and investigated serological levels of IL-6, immune response to major viral antigens and electrophoretic profile. Elevated levels of IL-6 were accompanied by a significative humoral response to viral Spike protein, revealing an altered electrophoretic profile in the gamma region. We can conclude that elevated levels of IL-6 triggers humoral response inducing a transient plasma cell dyscrasia in severe COVID-19 patients. (c) 2021 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study revealed that elevated levels of IL-6 in severe COVID-19 patients may trigger immune response, leading to clonal gammopathy. This anomaly may be related to the progression and severity of the viral infection.