Efficacy Of Tocilizumab On Critical Intensive Care Unit COVID-19 Patients: Retrospective Study Among Egyptian Armed Forces Hospitals. | ||
| ARCADEs of MEDICINE | ||
| Volume 1, Issue 1, December 2023, Pages 65-73 PDF (380.01 K) | ||
| Document Type: Observational Studies | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/arcmed.2023.220645.1036 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Mahmoud Khaled Hussien* 1; Marwa Saad Fathi2; Fatma Mostafa Mahmoud2; Raafat Zaher Abdelrahman1; Mohamed Abd El-Salam El-Gohary3; Ahmed Gad Taha1 | ||
| 1Armed Forces Laboratories for Medical Research and Blood Bank | ||
| 2AFCM | ||
| 3Armed Forces Fever Hospitals | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: Since the first reports of COVID-19 disease, it has become clear that acute respiratory distress syndrome was responsible for a significant number of deaths among infected patients. Several studies have linked increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines in serum to pulmonary inflammation and extensive lung damage.Among proinflammatory cytokines, Interleukin-6 is the key cytokine that contributes to an inflammatory storm. Several studies have found that elevated IL-6 levels are associated with the severity of COVID-19 symptoms and death.Tocilizumab is monoclonal antibody that antagonizes the effect of IL-6. Early cytokine storm treatment may have benefits on COVID-19 patients’ survival. Methods:The present study was conducted on 91 COVID-19 patients, admitted to intensive care unit and took tocilizumab.The IL-6 serum level data were collected from patients’ files pre and post-tocilizumab administration. Regarding these data, we could determine the clinical outcome after treatment. Results:We demonstrated that there was a decrease in IL-6 serum level within both mild and moderate severity grades by 16.3% and 38.4% respectively, while there was a significant increase in the patients who had severe grade by 162%. There was a significant decrease in IL-6 serum level within recovered group by 66.1% and a significant increase within the mortality group by 256% pre and post-injection with tocilizumab. Conclusion: IL-6 serum level may be a major indicator but not the sole driver in the pathology of COVID-19. So, when we assess IL-6 serum level, we should take into consideration other cytokines, and the usage of combinations of many blockages for these cytokines may improve the outcome. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| COVID-19; Cytokine storm; IL-6; IL-6 antagonist; Tocilizumab | ||
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