ArticlePloS one2022
A cytokine panel and procalcitonin in COVID-19, a comparison between intensive care and non-intensive care patients.
Article in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 25 citations in OpenAlex.
- Biomarker-based diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia using serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid levels of presepsin, procalcitonin, and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026Article
- Mapping Interactions Between Cytokines, Chemokines, Growth Factors, and Conventional Biomarkers in COVID-19 ICU-Patients.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Biochemical and Hematological Predictors of Mortality in Thai Patients with COVID-19.Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Article
- Fatty Acids and Inflammatory Protein Biomarkers From Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients.Immunity, inflammation and disease · 2025Article
- Evaluating the Effect of Body Mass Index on Procalcitonin Level in Patients with Pneumonia: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.Advances in respiratory medicine · 2025Article
- Continuous Biosensing to Monitor Acute Systemic Inflammation, a Diagnostic Need for Therapeutic Guidance.ACS sensors · 2025Review
- Comparative analysis of C-Reactive protein levels among Non-comorbid, Comorbid, and Multimorbid Hospitalized COVID-19 patients.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Observational
- Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Gene (IL1RN) Variants Modulate the Cytokine Release Syndrome and Mortality of COVID-19.The Journal of infectious diseases · 2024Article
- The Prognostic Utility of Cytokines in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.Journal of critical care medicine (Universitatea de Medicina si Farmacie din Targu-Mures) · 2023Article
- Inflammatory Response in COVID-19 Depending on the Severity of the Disease and the Vaccination Status.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Article
- Antimicrobial Stewardship Techniques for Critically Ill Patients with Pneumonia.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- The shed P2X7 receptor is an index of adverse clinical outcome in COVID-19 patients.Frontiers in immunology · 2023Article
- Anakinra authorized to treat severe coronavirus disease 2019; Sepsis breakthrough or time to reflect?Frontiers in microbiology · 2023Article
- COVID-19 and cognitive performance: a Mendelian randomization study.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Assessing Biomarkers in Viral Infection.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesProcalcitonin (PCT) is an acute-phase reactant with concentrations ≥0.5 μg/L indicative of possible bacterial infection in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19). Some with severe COVID-19 develop cytokine storm secondary to virally driven hyper-inflammation. However, increased pro-inflammatory cytokines are also seen in bacterial sepsis. This study aimed to assess the clinical utility of a cytokine panel in the assessment of COVID-19 with bacterial superinfections along with PCT and C-reactive protein (CRP).
methodsThe retrospective analysis included serum cytokines (interleukins; IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and tumour necrosis factor (TNFα)) measured using Ella™ (Bio-Techne, Oxford, UK) and PCT measured by Roche Cobas (Burgess Hill, UK) in patients admitted with COVID-19 between March 2020 and January 2021. Patients enrolled into COVID-19 clinical trials, treated with Remdesivir/IL-6 inhibitors were excluded. The cytokine data was compared between intensive care unit (ICU) patients, age matched non-ICU patients and healthy volunteers as well as ICU patients with high and normal PCT (≥0.5 vs. <0.5 μg/L).
resultsCytokine concentrations and CRP were higher in COVID-19 patients (76; ICU & non-ICU) vs. healthy controls (n = 24), all p<0.0001. IL-6, IL-8, TNFα and were higher in ICU patients (n = 46) vs. non-ICU patients (n = 30) despite similar CRP. Among 46 ICU patients, the high PCT group (n = 26) had higher TNFα (p<0.01) and longer ICU stay (mean 47 vs. 25 days, p<0.05). There was no difference in CRP and blood/respiratory culture results between the groups.
conclusionsPro-inflammatory cytokines and PCT were higher in COVID-19 patients requiring ICU admission vs. non-ICU admissions despite no difference in CRP. Furthermore, TNFα was higher in those with high PCT and requiring longer ICU admission despite no difference in CRP or rate of bacterial superinfection.
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