Elevated IL-6 level is associated with severe COVID-19

Objectives:
Is an elevated IL-6 level associated with severe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)?

Study design:
This review article included 9 studies.

Results and conclusions:
The investigators found patients with severe COVID-19 had a significantly higher serum IL-6 levels compared to non-severe patients [MD = 38.6 pg/mL, 95% CI = 24.3 to 52.9 pg/mL, p 0.001, I2 = 98.5%].

The investigators found meta-regression showed increasing mean IL-6 level was associated with increased mortality in patients [coefficient = 0.01, 95% CI = 0.01 to 0.03, p = 0.03].

The investigators concluded elevated IL-6 level is associated with severe COVID-19 and mortality. Therefore, clinicians should use this as a potential marker to recognize severe disease. IL-6 should be incorporated in a scoring system along with other inflammatory markers to risk stratify the patients for early recognition of severe disease. This study should encourage researchers to conduct trial evaluating Anti IL-6 antibodies such as Tocilizumab to assess the efficacy in patients with severe COVID-19.

Original title:
Elevated Interleukin-6 and Severe COVID-19: A Meta-Analysis by Aziz M, Fatima R and Assaly R.

Link:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32343429

Additional information of El Mondo:
Find more information/studies on coronavirus right here.