Inflammatory Cytokine: IL-17A Signaling Pathway in Patients Present with COVID-19 and Current Treatment Strategy

• Main Author: Shibabaw T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2020-10-01
• Series: Journal of Inflammation Research
• Subjects: il-17a; inflammation; immunopathology; covid-19; cytokine storm; th17; il-6; ards
• Online Access: https://www.dovepress.com/inflammatory-cytokine-il-17a-signaling-pathway-in-patients-present-wit-peer-reviewed-article-JIR

Tewodros Shibabaw Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Tewodros ShibabawDepartment of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Gondar, P.O. Box 196, Gondar, EthiopiaTel [phone]Email [e-mail]: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a globally communicable public health disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV-2). Eradication of COVID-19 appears practically impossible but, therefore, more effective pharmacotherapy is needed. The deteriorated clinical presentation of patients with COVID-19 is mainly associated with hypercytokinemia due to notoriously elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1B, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), interferon-γ-inducible protein (IP10), monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP1), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), and is usually responsible for cytokine release syndrome. In the cytokine storm, up-regulation of T-helper 17 cell cytokine IL-17A, and maybe also IL-17F, is mostly responsible for the immunopathology of COVID-19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Herein, I meticulously review the exuberant polarization mechanism of naïve CD4+ T cells toward Th17 cells in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and its associated immunopathological sequelae. I also, propose, for clinical benefit, targeting IL-17A signaling and the synergic inflammatory cytokine IL-6 to manage COVID-19 patients, particularly those presenting with cytokine storm syndrome.Keywords: IL-17A, inflammation, immunopathology, COVID-19, cytokine storm, Th17, IL-6, ARDS