A Descriptive Study of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) in COVID-19 Patients

Background: In December 2019, Wuhan, China, announced the first COVID-19 case. The World Health Organization proclaimed it to be a pandemic because of its intensified outbreak. According to reports, the presentation symptoms included severe respiratory diseases with cold, cough, and nasal congestion. Serious illnesses arose in elderly individuals with debilitating medical conditions. Within a week after infection, symptoms began to appear in the affected patients. Pneumonia followed in the second or third week. Numerous biochemical parameters were changed. Pro-inflammatory indicators such as CRP and IL-6 were found to be increased, suggesting a potential for severe inflammation and cytokine storm. Materials and methods: This study analyzed the IL-6 and CRP levels in COVID-19 patients, to assess the prognosis of the disease in a tertiary care hospital in Bangalore. CRP & IL-6 levels of 106 COVID-positive patients were studied for a period of one 1year. Based on their levels, the subjects were categorized into 3 groups- Mild, Moderate & Severe. These levels were further correlated with the severity and prognosis of the disease. Result: The level of IL-6 and CRP in COVID-19 patients were monitored on admission. There was no significant difference in gender and age among the three patient groups. Levels of CRP and IL-6 were determined at the time of admission. All the patients showed high levels of CRP and IL-6. The level of IL-6 was comparatively higher than of CRP. Conclusions: Both IL-6 and CRP is widely obtaining marker that correlates with disease severity and mortality. However, IL-6 shows significantly higher. Our finding supports the utility of daily IL-6 and CRP value in hospitalization COVID-19 patients and provides early detection before admission that may facilitate risk stratification and prognostication.