Th1/Th2/Th17 Cytokine Profile among Different Stages of COVID-19 Infection

Aim: To characterize Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokine profile (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and IL-17A) among different stages of COVID-19 infection. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study which included six healthy individuals and 68 patients who were admitted with COVID-19 in the Department of Medicine, at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, from July 2020 to September 2020. Patients were categorized into mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19 groups, and serum samples were drawn for the measurement of Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and IL-17A) which was done by BD (TM) Cytometric Bead Array. Results: All the cytokines showed dynamic expression in the COVID-19 group, of which only IL-6 was statistically significant. Among the three severity groups of COVID-19, increased severity did not transform into increased cytokine level, with the exception for IL-6, which was statistically significant. Conclusions: In our small sample study, six cytokines expressions were evaluated however most of them were elevated in COVID-19 patients but were not statistically significant except IL-6.

Automated summary

This study aimed to characterize the cytokine profile of Th1/Th2/Th17 among different stages of COVID-19 infection. The results showed dynamic expression of these cytokines in COVID-19 patients, with IL-6 being the only statistically significant one.