Volume 25 , Issue 2 , December 2023 , Pages 414-422
Peshang Mohsin Muhammed 1 ; Shukur Wasman Smail 2 ; Kawa Abdulla Muhammed Amin 1
1 Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Sulaimani, Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
2 Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Science, Cihan University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
Background: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a
novel coronavirus that causes an infectious disease named coronavirus disease-2019
(COVID-19). Objectives: To test some biomarkers (Fibroblastic growth factor (FGF)-
18, wingless-related integration site (WNT-5A), interleukin (IL)-17, and IL-33 to predict
the severity of COVID-19. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was done on
180 participants (90 healthy control and 90 COVID-19-positive patients) at the
emergency units of the hospitals in four cities of Northern Iraq from July 01 to
December 01, 2021. The obtained serum from collected blood was tested to determine
IL-17, IL-33, FGF-18, and WNT-5 levels using the ELISA technique. Additionally, CRP
concentration was measured using immunoturbidimetry on Cobas c311. Results:
Regarding the sociodemographic data, most moderately infected patients were aged 46-
64 years and were males (35.6%, 64.4%, respectively). The most severely infected
patients were older than 65 years and were females (60%). The highest mean serum
levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) (59.53±40.06 mg/dl), IL-17 (36.90±22.61 pg/ml),
FGF-18 (179.8±291.37 pg/mL), IL-33 (248.11±506.71 pg/ml) were reported among the
severely infected patients, while the highest mean serum level of WNT-5A was observed
among moderately infected patients (5.03±5.73 ng/ml). Regarding the correlations
between biomarkers, in moderately infected patients, a negative correlation between
CRP and IL-33; CRP and IL-17 was observed, with a positive correlation between IL-33
and IL-17. Conversely, no correlations were seen between IL-33 and WNT-5 whereas
correlations between IL-33 and IL-17 were seen in severely infected individuals.
Simultaneously, a correlation between the patient’s body mass index (BMI) and CRP
was detected. Conclusions: The disease was more severe among elderly, females, and
overweight patients. All biomarkers, except WNT-5A, were significantly associated with
the severity of COVID-19.