2. Academic Validation
  3. Cytokine release syndrome in severe COVID-19: interleukin-6 receptor antagonist tocilizumab may be the key to reduce mortality

Cytokine release syndrome in severe COVID-19: interleukin-6 receptor antagonist tocilizumab may be the key to reduce mortality

  • Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2020 May;55(5):105954. doi: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2020.105954.
Chi Zhang 1,  Zhao Wu 1,  Jia-Wen Li 1,  Hong Zhao 2,  Gui-Qiang Wang 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, Center for Liver Disease, Peking University First Hospital, No. 8 Xishiku Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, China.
  • 2 Department of Infectious Diseases, Center for Liver Disease, Peking University First Hospital, No. 8 Xishiku Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, China; The Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 3 Department of Infectious Diseases, Center for Liver Disease, Peking University First Hospital, No. 8 Xishiku Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, China; The Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Peking University International Hospital, Beijing, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 32234467 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2020.105954
Abstract

Since December 2019, a viral pneumonia, named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), from Wuhan, China, has swept the world. Although the case fatality rate is not high, the number of people infected is large and there is still a large number of patients dying. With the collation and publication of more and more clinical data, a large number of data suggest that there are mild or severe cytokine storms in severe patients, which is an important cause of death. Therefore, treatment of the cytokine storm has become an important part of rescuing severe COVID-19 patients. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays an important role in cytokine release syndrome. If it is possible to block the signal transduction pathway of IL-6, it is expected to become a new method for the treatment of severe COVID-19 patients. Tocilizumab is an IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) blocker that can effectively block the IL-6 signal transduction pathway and thus is likely to become an effective drug for patients with severe COVID-19.

Keywords

COVID-19; Cytokine release syndrome; IL-6; IL-6R; Tocilizumab.

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