Research of the interrelationships of anemia markers and cytokines in COVID‑19 patients and their clinical informative value

A study was conducted with the participation of 51 male patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID‑19. 17 of them were diagnosed with anemia of chronic diseases. The study compared the parameters of hemogram, erythropoietin, iron metabolism (ferritin, transferrin, soluble transferrin receptor, total serum iron binding capacity (SIBC)), as well as interleukin‑1b (IL‑1b), interleukin‑6 (IL‑6), interleukin‑10 (IL‑10), necrosis factor tumors of alpha (TNF-α), interferon-γ (INF-γ) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with anemia of chronic diseases (AСD) on the background of COVID‑19 and a control group of COVID‑19 patients without anemia. As a result of the study of anemia markers, it was found that patients with COVID‑19 and anemia have the highest concentrations of erythropoietin, ferritin, and cytokines (IL‑1b, IL‑6, IL‑10, TNF-alpha), as well as a marker of immune system activity, CRP. In patients with COVID‑19 and AСD, decreased levels of markers reflecting the severity of anemia, such as transferrin and SIBC, as well as INF-γ levels, were detected. According to the results of the correlation analysis, different effects of cytokines on erythropoiesis, hemoglobin synthesis and iron metabolism in the body were revealed. ROC curves were used to analyze the studied markers of anemia in order to differentiate anemia in patients with COVID‑19. The most important markers for diagnosis were indicators of hemoglobin, erythrocytes and SIBC.