Cytokine profile in patients with osteoarthritis after SARS-COV-2 infection

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.