The World Health Organization (WHO) declared coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a public health emergency of international concern the epidemic has put public health systems under severe strain both in western countries and in the developing world. SARS-CoV-2 displays a more efficient transmission pattern when compared with SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. Although the direct damage from the viruses contributes to the initiation of the disease, the cytokine storm caused by COVID-19 plays a vital role in the development of acute lung injury and adult respiratory distress syndrome.~IL-6, a kind of pleiotropic cytokine, is expressed by immune cells such as DC, monocytes, macrophages, B cells, and subsets of activated T cells, as well as by non-immune cells like fibroblasts, epithelial cells, and keratinocytes. It contributes to the pathogenesis of inflammatory or autoimmunity diseases. Excessive production of IL-6 leads to serious disease progression in viral infection. The IL-6 gene is located on chromosome 7 and several polymorphisms have been reported. The most frequently studied polymorphism is the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) 174C and - 174G in the promoter region, which has been associated with transcription rates of IL6. The incidence of IL-6-174C alleles is approximately 40%among the general Population. The G allele 174 SNP is coupled with the increased transcription upon endotoxin and IL-1β stimulation, IL-6 -174C allele carrier status is associated with higher level of IL-6 production and more severe forms of 4 pneumonia in general. This analysis strengthens the notion that IL-6 plays a pivotal role in novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) progression, it was IL-6-174 C allele rather than G allele that contributed to the risk of sepsis induced by Pneumonia
Although the direct damage from the viruses contributes to the initiation of the disease, the cytokine storm caused by COVID-19 plays a vital role in the development of acute lung injury and adult respiratory distress syndrome. IL-6, a kind of pleiotropic cytokine, is expressed by immune cells such as DC, monocytes, macrophages, B cells, and subsets of activated T cells, as well as by non-immune cells like fibroblasts, epithelial cells, and keratinocytes