Predictive Role of Immunological Markers sCD14-ST and Interleukin-6 in Assessing Severity and Recovery Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients

Abstract

The soluble cluster of differentiation CD14 subtype (sCD14-ST) acts as a cofactor, increasing pattern recognition receptor (PRR) activity through some infections. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has a critical clinical role in infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing a cytokine storm that eventually leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, various investigations found that IL-6 and sCD14-ST are predictive biomarkers for disease prognosis and severity. This study strives to investigate the immunological role of IL-6 and sCD14-ST in predicting COVID-19 outcomes. A case-control study involving 180 participants was divided into three groups: a severe group (with a particular focus on intensive care unit (ICU) patients), a mild-moderate group, with 60 patients, and a control group consisting of 60 healthy participants. ELISA was utilized to quantify IL-6 and sCD14-ST. The results exhibited a statistically significant increase (p-value ≤0.001) in median serum levels of IL-6 and sCD14-ST among patient groups compared to the control group. The Spearman correlation demonstrates a positive and substantial association between patient indicators. According to the findings, high levels of IL-6 and sCD14-ST associated with COVID-19 severity could be used as predictive markers for disease progression, particularly in ICU patients. In contrast, the low levels of these biomarkers in both control and mild-moderate infections may reflect inflammation resolution and infection recovery.