Interleukin-6 and Biomarkers Predict Outcomes in People with Diabetes and COVID-19 Infection

Abstract

Abstract Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the association between interleukin-(IL-6) and other inflammatory markers (ferritin, D-dimer, and C-reactive protein [CRP]) in severe and critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection severing from diabetic mellitus (DM). Materials and Methods: A total of 130 patients confirmed with COVID-19 infection in a Laboratory of the Ministry of Health/Department of Public Health and Al-Amal Specialized Hospital for Communicable Diseases from January 1, 2022, to May 1, 2022, were included in the study. Demographic and clinical data, signs and symptoms, diabetics history, laboratory diagnosis (reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction), as well chest computed tomography were collected and analyzed. The patients were divided according to the severity of the disease into three groups: mild cases (39%), severe cases (33%), and critical cases (28%). Results: The results revealed that 70 of the 130 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infected patients had diabetes and were at a high risk of a severe and critical outcome. Furthermore, the level of proinflammatory biomarkers, such as IL-6 and other inflammatory biomarkers, such as CRP, serum ferritin, and D-dimer, were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in patients with diabetes compared with those without diabetes and the control group. Conclusion: This study concludes that according to COVID-19, DM must be a consideration of high-risk factor for the rapid progression of COVID-19 and an increased mortality rate. A recent study suggests that COVID-19 patients with diabetes are more susceptible to cytokine storms, eventually leading to rapid deterioration of patients’ health.