What is a cytokine storm in coronavirus

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

The process is a violent inflammatory response that is out of control. It is usually observed as a response to a viral infection. Recent studies have shown that the cytokine storm in coronavirus is one of the leading causes of death.

What it is

It is an over-the-top and uncontrolled response of the immune system that releases a huge amount of inflammatory substances. A cytokine storm can lead to serious complications such as sepsis, shock, tissue damage, and multiple organ failure. It is classified not as a disease, but as a complex of immune responses that can occur during various clinical conditions, for example, in the case of infection with infectious pathologies.

What it is, they wrote before, before the coronavirus pandemic. The term was first used in 1993 to describe the effects of graft versus host disease. It can occur in the recipient's body after organ transplantation. In 2003, it was also shown that the symptom may be related to the body's response to infection with viruses and bacteria.

The term "cytokine storm" appears to have been used for the first time in the context of the 2005 H5N1 avian influenza epidemic. Then it became more and more widely used in the scientific literature.

Cytokine storm: the mechanism of formation

The pathogen enters the epithelial cells of the upper and lower respiratory tract during endocytosis. The viral genetic material is then recognized by so-called molecular patterns, which, in turn, can initiate a response from the immune system.

During a cytokine storm, cells of the immune system are quickly activated. There is a division of T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes, monocytes, macrophages. A feature of the process is the loss of feedback from the immune system, which normally suppresses the excessive production of inflammatory elements. The release of cytokines provokes the production of new ones, which initiates an irresistible chain reaction. A kind of vicious circle arises.

Cytokines are a diverse group of small molecules that are primarily produced by the cells of the immune system. Among the most important functions of these elements are the control of the division and differentiation of immune cells and the regulation of the inflammatory response.

Causes

The symptoms and treatment of the phenomenon are being actively studied. The factors leading to the cytokine storm are associated with a wide range of infectious and non-infectious pathologies.

Infectious agents include:

• group A streptococci;
• cytomegalovirus;
• Epstein-Barr virus;
• Ebola virus;
• influenza virus;
• smallpox virus;
• coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV.

The main mystery surrounding the cytokine storm is why some people are especially vulnerable, while others are resistant to the development of this phenomenon. This is probably due to the genetic variability of the immune response in the human population.

Effects

Cytokine storm is the leading cause of death in patients infected with viruses such as Ebola, coronavirus and pandemic influenza. Lung damage is a common consequence of this phenomenon. It is characterized by an inflammatory response in the lung tissue followed by a phase of pulmonary collagen deposition and fibrosis.

Over time, the symptom can turn into a more severe form - ARDS syndrome. For this reason, it is important to understand the symptoms of the disease and its treatment in order to prevent all these adverse events in the future.

Harmful elements can spread through the circulatory system throughout the body, causing damage to other organs. Over time, sepsis may appear.

In people with infectious sepsis, the characteristic blood cytokine profile changes over time. The cytokines of the acute reaction are interleukin-1 and 8, which appear in the first minutes or hours after infection. This is followed by a marked increase in interleukin-6 levels. The anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 appears a little later when the body tries to control the systemic inflammatory response.

Interesting! Angina with coronavirus in adults and children

Is alternative treatment acceptable

The cytokine storm in coronavirus can only be treated in a hospital setting. In addition, to date, no guaranteed effective medicine has been developed.

But a lot of dangerous false information has already accumulated around the coronavirus. There have been attempts to prove that it can be cured with vitamins, garlic, or other folk remedies. Unfortunately, the truth is that there is still no effective targeted cure for this virus. It's the same with the cytokine storm. Its appearance is difficult to predict, and taking a horse dose of vitamin C will not prevent this phenomenon from occurring.

How a cytokine storm affects the course of COVID-19 disease

The virus itself provokes severe inflammation, to which the patient's body reacts. Then a large number of cytokines develop in his lungs, and it is they that lead to death.

At this stage, only interleukin 6 blockers, previously used in autoimmune diseases, can help.

This treatment has been tested in several treatment centers in Europe. An interleukin 6 blocker is currently the only drug that has the potential to stop this rapid synthesis of cytokines that destroy the patient's lungs. Research is ongoing to find out if this drug actually works.

The sooner doctors detect that a cytokine storm is occurring in a patient's body and begin treatment, the higher the likelihood that the patient will survive.

Outcomes

1. The cytokine storm in coronavirus has fatal consequences, so scientists around the world are working to find an effective prevention of this phenomenon.
2. The culprit is the reaction of a person's own immune system, and not COVID-19 itself.
3. An overly active behavior of the immune system cannot be predicted. Experts do not know the factors that predispose to such reactions. Perhaps the answer lies in the genetic characteristics of the person.