We may have an ally in the fight against Covid. In fact, researchers from the Udine Infectious Diseases Clinic have identified one "spy" molecule able to indicate patients with greater risks, if positive to the coronavirus. The degree of danger could therefore be identified from the first days of the infection. The research work was presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
Preventing lethal Covid is possible
Some patients suffer complications from Covid, facing a very serious course, due to an overreaction of their immune system. We have to talk about cytokines, molecules produced in excess that trigger harmful levels of inflammation, causing organ failure, with aggravations that can lead to death.
Until now, we did not know which specific cytokines were driving this process. This is the fulcrum of the research carried out in Udine. It is now possible measure the levels of these specific cytokines during hospitalization. Doing so could customize the therapy for individual patients at risk, even preventing the conditions from worsening.
Another very important aspect of the Italian research is the discovery that high levels of this cytokine, IL-6, are accompanied by high values of Sil2ra e IL-10, which have an inflammatory role. All this is important, since in such cases the immunosuppressants, generally exploited to combat Covid in severe stages, would do more harm than good.
She expressed herself in this regard Emanuela Sozio, of the Infectious Diseases Clinic of the Friuli Centrale University Health Authority of Udine: “It is becoming clearer, however, that the sooner we treat excessive inflammation, the more likely it is to turn it off quickly and permanently, thus avoiding irreversible organ damage. Our work can help select patients with the worst prognosis ”.
