Soluble interleukin-6 receptor in the COVID-19 cytokine storm syndrome

Luke Y C Chen; Catherine M Biggs; Shahin Jamal; Sophie Stukas; Cheryl L Wellington; Mypinder S Sekhon

doi:10.1016/j.xcrm.2021.100269

Soluble interleukin-6 receptor in the COVID-19 cytokine storm syndrome

Cell Rep Med. 2021 May 18;2(5):100269. doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2021.100269. Epub 2021 Apr 19.

Authors

Luke Y C Chen^{1

2}, Catherine M Biggs³, Shahin Jamal⁴, Sophie Stukas^{5

6}, Cheryl L Wellington^{5

6}, Mypinder S Sekhon⁷

Affiliations

¹ Division of Hematology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z1M9, Canada.
² Centre for Health Education Scholarship, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada.
³ Division of Allergy and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z1M9, Canada.
⁴ Division of Rheumatology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z1M9, Canada.
⁵ Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z1M9, Canada.
⁶ Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada.
⁷ Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z1M9, Canada.

Abstract

Data suggest that interleukin (IL)-6 blockade could reduce mortality in severe COVID-19, yet IL-6 is only modestly elevated in most patients. Chen et al. describe the role of soluble interleukin-6 receptor (sIL-6R) in IL-6 trans-signaling and how understanding the IL-6:sIL-6R axis might help define and treat COVID-19 cytokine storm syndrome.

Keywords: COVID-19; cytokine storm; interleukin-6; interleukin-6 receptor; threshold concept; tocilizumab.

Publication types

News
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Antibodies, Monoclonal / immunology
Antibodies, Monoclonal / pharmacology
COVID-19 / complications
COVID-19 / pathology*
COVID-19 / virology
Cytokine Release Syndrome / diagnosis*
Cytokine Release Syndrome / etiology
Humans
Interleukin-6 / analysis
Interleukin-6 / immunology
Receptors, Interleukin-6 / analysis*
SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification
Signal Transduction / drug effects

Substances

Antibodies, Monoclonal
Interleukin-6
Receptors, Interleukin-6
siltuximab