Major predictive risk factors for а cytokine storm in COVID-19 patients (a retrospective clinical trials)

Background: According to WHO, as of March 31, 2021, 127 877 462 confirmed cases of the new COVID-19 coronavirus infection were registered in the world, including 2 796 561 deaths (WHO Coronavirus Disease). COVID-19 is characterized by a wide range of clinical manifestations, from asymptomatic to a rapid progression to severe and extremely severe. Predictive biomarkers for the early detection of high-risk individuals have become a matter of great medical urgency. Aims: Search for the predictors of a cytokine storm in patients with COVID-19 infection and creation of a risk scale of this complication for practical applications. Methods: The study included 458 patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection with signs of viral lung lesions according to the computer tomography data. The patients were divided into 2 groups: those with a stable course of moderate severity (100 patients) and those with progressive moderate, severe and extremely severe course (358 patients). Results: It has been established that the main risk factors for the development of a cytokine storm in COVID-19 patients are the following: interleukin-6 concentration >23 pg/ ml, dynamics of the index on the NEWS scale ≥0, ferritin concentration >485 ng/ml, D-dimer concentration >2.1, C-reactive protein concentration >50 mg/l, number of lymphocytes in the blood function show_eabstract() { $('#eabstract1').hide(); $('#eabstract2').show(); $('#eabstract_expand').hide(); }