Hemosorption efficiency for suppressing the cytokine storm caused by coronavirus SARS-CoV-2

Coronavirus infection is a clinical syndrome caused by a mutational RNA virus (SARS-CoV-2). In severe cases, it is characterized by the development of a “cytokine storm”. The latter leads to the multiple organ dysfunction, ARDS and causes high mortality. To suppress the cytokine aggression in patients with severe COVID-19, the drug suppression is recommended; however, the use of hemosorption can be pathogenetically justified as an alternative method.

The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of hemosorption using the hemosorbent “Hemo-Proteazosorb” in the severe COVID-19 infection course in comparison to the drug suppression with tocilizumab.

We studied the clinical and laboratory parameters of 88 patients who were treated at the anesthesiology and intensive care department. All patients were divided into 2 groups: Hemo-Proteazosorb (n = 53) and Tocilizumab (n = 33).4

Against the background of hemosorption using the Hemo-Proteazosorb sorbent, statistically the level of procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, leukocytes, fibrinogen, D-dimers significantly decreases, the number of lymphocytes increases, as well as the respiratory index earlier grows in comparison with the group receiving tocilizumab therapy. The study found that the use of hemosorption through the domestic sorbent “Hemo-Proteazosorb” has a number of advantages over the drug suppression of the “cytokine storm” with tocilizumab due to the more pronounced effects of immunomodulation, improvement of the oxygen transport function of blood, its rheological properties and the possibility of effective use in persons with viral bacterial infection.

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