ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection induces a pro-inflammatory state of an organism with long-term systemic consequences as a result. Systemic inflammation, characterized by a high circulating level of inflammatory cytokines, is a significant factor influencing articular cartilage metabolism in osteoarthritis (OA). This study aimed to determine the levels of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in plasma of patients with OA following SARS-CoV-2 infection and to compare them with those of healthy controls. METHOD(S): The experiment involved patients of the Orthopedic Specialty Clinic aged 46 to 69 diagnosed with knee OA. Among persons with joint pathology a group of convalescent patients from 6-9 months after COVID-19 was identified. The control group involved relatively healthy donors. The plasma levels of pro-inflammatory (IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12beta, tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-alpha], interferon-gamma [IFN-gamma]) and anti-inflammatory (IL-4 and IL-10) cytokines were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULT(S): It was established that in patients with OA, as well as after suffering from SARS-CoV-2 infection, an increase in the plasma levels of IL-1beta was observed against the background of a decrease in the levels of IL-4, IL-8, IL-10, IL- 12beta, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma, compared to the healthy controls. COVID-19 more significantly influenced the plasma levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta and IL-12beta. CONCLUSION(S): The results indicate the imbalance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the plasma in patients with OA for a long post-COVID. Shanges in the levels of inflammatory mediators suggest distinct immunoregulatory mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of both joint pathology and systemic disorders caused by SARS-COV-2.Copyright © 2022 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA.