Cerebrospinal fluid and serum interleukins 6 and 8 during the acute and recovery phase in COVID-19 neuropathies patients.

This case series describes three patients affected by SARS-CoV-2 who developed polyradiculoneuritis as a probable neurological complication of COVID-19. A diagnosis of Guillain Barre syndrome was made on the basis of clinical symptoms, cerebrospinal fluid analysis and electroneurography (ENG). In all of them therapeutic approach included the administration of intravenous immunoglobulin (0.4 gr/kg for 5 days), which resulted in the improvement of neurological symptoms. Clinical neurophysiology revealed the presence of conduction block, absence of F waves, and in two cases significant decrease in amplitude of compound motor action potential cMAP. Due to the potential role of inflammation on symptoms development and prognosis, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and -8 (IL-8) levels were measured in serum and cerebrospinal fluid during the acute phase, while only serum was tested after recovery. Both IL-6 and IL-8 were found increased during the acute phase, both in serum and cerebrospinal fluid, whereas four months after admission (at complete recovery), only IL-8 remained elevated in serum. These results confirm the inflammatory response that might be linked to peripheral nervous system complications, and encourage the use of IL-6 and IL-8 as prognostic biomarkers in COVID-19. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.