September 4, 2020

Cytokine Levels in Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19 and Other Conditions

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Clinical Characteristics and Health Care Setting

Keywords (Tags): clinical characteristics

• Cytokine levels among patients critically ill with COVID-19 were lower or not significantly different from levels among patients with other critical illnesses, including bacterial septic shock, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and multiple traumas. In particular, levels of all 3 cytokines tested (tumor necrosis factor, IL-6, and IL-8) were significantly lower in patients with COVID-19 than in patients with septic shock with ARDS.
• These preliminary findings suggest that severe COVID-19 may not be characterized by a cytokine storm, and question the potential benefit of anti-cytokine therapies to COVID-19 patients.

Kox et al. (Sept 3, 2020). Cytokine Levels in Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19 and Other Conditions. JAMA. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.17052