Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection can generate a systemic inflammatory response, characterized by a cytokine storm and associated with an exaggerated release of proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), and IL‐17, all of which can affect the liver. Here, we aimed to evaluate the cytokine profiles of patients suffering from coronavirus disease (COVID)‐19 and/or hepatitis. We subjected 87 patients to serology and/or polymerase chain reaction analysis for the hepatitis C virus. They were also tested for TNF‐α, IL‐6, and IL‐17 using commercial immunoassay kits. The test results of the COVID‐19/hepatitis C patients (n = 8) were compared with that of the negative controls (n = 28), hepatitis C patients (n = 29), and COVID‐19 patients (n = 22). All COVID‐19 patients (mono‐ and coinfected) expressed high levels of cytokines. The COVID‐19/hepatitis patients exhibited higher levels of IL‐6 (6.33 ± 3.9 pg/ml) and IL‐17 (102.23 ± 2.7 pg/ml); however, TNF‐α values were lower (68.08 ± 15.88 pg/ml), as compared with that of the hepatitis patients (p < 0.001), and lower than that of the COVID‐19 patients and exceptionally for TNF‐α (p < 0.05). These data highlight the importance of monitoring patients with hepatitis and COVID‐19.
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