Abstract
BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 is associated with the activation of innate immunity, with an observed increase in neutrophils, mononuclear phagocytes, and natural killer cells, as well as a decrease in T cells. Interferon plays important roles in restricting viruses and is crucial because it participates in both innate and adaptive immunity. Gamma interferon (IFN-γ) is a cytokine that plays a fundamental role in maintaining homeostasis in the body, both in vitro and in vivo. OBJECTIVE: An immunological study was conducted to measure the concentrations of IFN-γ in severe SARS-CoV-2-positive patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Around 500 sera from patients with similar respiratory comorbidities at the onset of the disease were analyzed, using healthy patients as controls. The sera from SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals were processed using the ELISA technique, and the statistical treatment of the data involved creating a database with the absorbance readings, which were then converted into concentrations in pg/ml. RESULTS: We can infer that the amount of IFN-γ expression depends on the patient's condition; the more severe the patient's condition, the higher the expression of this cytokine compared to their baseline levels, ranging from 0 to 0.5 μg/ml. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that the IFN-γ response plays an important role in controlling the disease, and effective therapies are recommended for the treatment of Covid-19, which will lead to the implementation of therapeutic approaches aimed at counteracting the immune system, especially in the more severe forms of the disease.