Potential marker subset of blood-circulating cytokines on hematopoietic progenitor-to-Th1 pathway in COVID-19

In this study, we analyzed a relatively large subset of proteins, including 109 kinds of blood-circulating cytokines, and precisely described a cytokine storm in the expression level and the range of fluctuations during hospitalization for COVID-19. Of the proteins analyzed in COVID-19, approximately 70% were detected with Bonferroni-corrected significant differences in comparison with disease severity, clinical outcome, long-term hospitalization, and disease progression and recovery. Specifically, IP-10, sTNF-R1, sTNF-R2, sCD30, sCD163, HGF, SCYB16, IL-16, MIG, SDF-1, and fractalkine were found to be major components of the COVID-19 cytokine storm. Moreover, the 11 cytokines (i.e., SDF-1, SCYB16, sCD30, IL-11, IL-18, IL-8, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, sTNF-R2, M-CSF, and I-309) were associated with the infection, mortality, disease progression and recovery, and long-term hospitalization. Increased expression of these cytokines could be explained in sequential pathways from hematopoietic progenitor cell differentiation to Th1-derived hyperinflammation in COVID-19, which might also develop a novel strategy for COVID-19 therapy with recombinant interleukins and anti-chemokine drugs.