Description
What is IncellKINE™ Cytokine Panel Test?
Cytokines are small, secreted proteins released by cells have a specific effect on the interactions and communications between cells. Cytokine is a general name; other names include lymphokine (cytokines made by lymphocytes), monokine (cytokines made by monocytes), chemokine (cytokines with chemotactic activities), and interleukin (cytokines made by one leukocyte and acting on other leukocytes). Cytokines may act on the cells that secrete them (autocrine action), on nearby cells (paracrine action), or, in some instances, on distant cells (endocrine action). There are both pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines.
The anti-inflammatory cytokines are a series of immunoregulatory molecules that control the proinflammatory cytokine response. Cytokines act in concert with specific cytokine inhibitors and soluble cytokine receptors to regulate the human immune response.
The Cytokine panel tests for the elevation or decreased levels of cytokines following COVID-19 infection or post-COVID-19 vaccine injury leading to long haul symptoms. The results may be helpful in better understanding the pathophysiology of immunological, infectious, or inflammatory disorders or may be used for research purposes.
Long Hauler Score:
In a recent publication by Patterson et al., an analysis was performed on 144 individuals (including 29 normal, 26 mild-moderate COVID-19, 25 severe COVID-19, and 64 individuals with chronic COVID) to try to identify possible immunologic signatures of COVID-19 severity and determine if chronic COVID-19 might represent a distinct immunologic entity compared to mild to moderate or severe /critical COVID-19.
Plasma levels of cytokines were measured and then analyzed using neural networking and machine learning. A “long hauler score” was developed which demonstrated a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 100% for identifying chronic COVID.
This quantitative immunologic score may be useful in stratifying patients to therapy and/or non-subjectively measuring response to therapy.
