Radio-Clinical Findings in COVID-19 Patients: A Hallmark of Systemic Inflammation

Abstract

Background: COVID -19 is a great threat to the human health worldwide and injury to the lungs is the main outcome of COVID-19 infection. In this context, it is believed that clinical -radiological findings along with biochemical alteration play a crucial role in diagnosis of disease. Aim:  The aim of the present study was to ascertain the association of serum IL-6 levels with severity of lung injury in COVID-19 patients. Methodology: 130 patients of COVID-19 (93 males and 37 females) were included in this study and classified as mild, moderate and severe according to the revised guidelines on clinical management of COVID-19. Radiological findings in terms of high resolution computed tomography (CT) scan chest had been performed in only those COVID-19 patients in whom IL-6 test have been done. The collected data were analyzed statistically using standard methods and were compared by using Pearson correlation coefficient and Analysis of variance. Result: Marked elevated levels of serum IL6 were observed in COVID-19 patients and these levels showed a highly significant correlation (p-value < 0.001) with disease severity as characterized by raised CT score. In addition, serum IL-6 levels were negative correlated with SpO2 status in COVID-19 patients (r= -0.021; p<0.001) which reflect the need of intensive treatment of COVID-19 patients with very high IL-6 levels. Conclusion: Regular monitoring of IL-6 levels plays a crucial role in accessing the disease severity. Furthermore, these findings may help the clinicians to better understand the role of IL-6 in COVID -19 associated lung injury and also plan the therapeutic management of these patients, and thus, reducing the mortality of this global pandemic.