tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
BMC Infect Dis
. 2022 Jan 28;22(1):96.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-022-07079-x.
Comparison of cytokines levels among COVID-19 patients living at sea level and high altitude
Juana Del Valle-Mendoza[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP], Yordi Tarazona-Castro[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Alfredo Merino-Luna[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Hugo Carrillo-Ng[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Sungmin Kym[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Miguel Angel Aguilar-Luis[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Luis J Del Valle[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Ronald Aquino-Ortega[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Johanna Martins-Luna[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Isaac Peña-Tuesta[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Wilmer Silva-Caso[SUP] 9 10 11 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: At the end of 2019, a novel coronavirus denominated SARS-CoV-2 rapidly spread through the world causing the pandemic coronavirus disease known as COVID-19. The difference in the inflammatory response against SARS-CoV-2 infection among people living at different altitudes is a variable not yet studied.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in two Peruvian cities at different altitudes for comparison: Lima and Huaraz. Five important proinflammatory cytokines were measured including: IL-6, IL-2, IL-10, IFN-γ and TNF-α using ELISA assays.
Results: A total of 35 COVID-19 patients and 10 healthy subjects were recruited from each study site. The mean levels of IL-6 (p < 0.03) and TNF-α (p < 0.01) were significantly different among the study groups. In the case of IL-6, patients from Lima had a mean level of 16.2 pg/ml (healthy) and 48.3 pg/ml (COVID-19), meanwhile, patients from Huaraz had levels of 67.3 pg/ml (healthy) and 97.9 pg/ml (COVID-19). Regarding TNF-α, patients from Lima had a mean level of 25.9 pg/ml (healthy) and 61.6 pg/ml (COVID-19), meanwhile, patients from Huaraz had levels of 89.0 pg/ml (healthy) and 120.6 pg/ml (COVID-19). The levels of IL-2, IL-10 and IFN-γ were not significantly different in the study groups.
Conclusion: Patients with COVID-19 residing at high-altitude tend to have higher levels of inflammatory cytokines compared to patients living at sea level, particularly IL-6 and TNF-α. A better understanding of the inflammatory response in different populations can contribute to the implementation of therapeutic and preventive approaches. Further studies evaluating more patients, a greater variety of cytokines and their clinical impact are required.
Keywords: COVID-19; Cytokines; Different altitudes; Peru; SARS-CoV-2.
. 2022 Jan 28;22(1):96.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-022-07079-x.
Comparison of cytokines levels among COVID-19 patients living at sea level and high altitude
Juana Del Valle-Mendoza[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP], Yordi Tarazona-Castro[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Alfredo Merino-Luna[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Hugo Carrillo-Ng[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Sungmin Kym[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Miguel Angel Aguilar-Luis[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Luis J Del Valle[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Ronald Aquino-Ortega[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Johanna Martins-Luna[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Isaac Peña-Tuesta[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Wilmer Silva-Caso[SUP] 9 10 11 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35090394
- DOI: 10.1186/s12879-022-07079-x
Abstract
Background: At the end of 2019, a novel coronavirus denominated SARS-CoV-2 rapidly spread through the world causing the pandemic coronavirus disease known as COVID-19. The difference in the inflammatory response against SARS-CoV-2 infection among people living at different altitudes is a variable not yet studied.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in two Peruvian cities at different altitudes for comparison: Lima and Huaraz. Five important proinflammatory cytokines were measured including: IL-6, IL-2, IL-10, IFN-γ and TNF-α using ELISA assays.
Results: A total of 35 COVID-19 patients and 10 healthy subjects were recruited from each study site. The mean levels of IL-6 (p < 0.03) and TNF-α (p < 0.01) were significantly different among the study groups. In the case of IL-6, patients from Lima had a mean level of 16.2 pg/ml (healthy) and 48.3 pg/ml (COVID-19), meanwhile, patients from Huaraz had levels of 67.3 pg/ml (healthy) and 97.9 pg/ml (COVID-19). Regarding TNF-α, patients from Lima had a mean level of 25.9 pg/ml (healthy) and 61.6 pg/ml (COVID-19), meanwhile, patients from Huaraz had levels of 89.0 pg/ml (healthy) and 120.6 pg/ml (COVID-19). The levels of IL-2, IL-10 and IFN-γ were not significantly different in the study groups.
Conclusion: Patients with COVID-19 residing at high-altitude tend to have higher levels of inflammatory cytokines compared to patients living at sea level, particularly IL-6 and TNF-α. A better understanding of the inflammatory response in different populations can contribute to the implementation of therapeutic and preventive approaches. Further studies evaluating more patients, a greater variety of cytokines and their clinical impact are required.
Keywords: COVID-19; Cytokines; Different altitudes; Peru; SARS-CoV-2.