Effect of Fingolimod in treatment of COVID-19-induced cytokine storm

Abstract

In December 2019, a new pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus appeared in Wuhan, China, causing a worldwide epidemic. Covid-19 infection is associated with an aggressive inflammatory response with the release of large amounts of proinflammatory cytokines called "cytokine storms." In this study, we tried to measure the effect of fingolimod, one of the drugs that regulate the immune system, on the cytokine storm Covid-19. Method: A total of 40 patients with mild Covid-19 were admitted to the hospital, of which 21 were treated with fingolimod and 19 with classical treatment. Laboratory features and clinical findings were compared in the two groups of patients. Independent T-test and Mann Whitney U test were used to compare quantitative variables and Chi Square test was used to compare qualitative variables. P less than 0.05 was considered as a significant level. Results: In the present study, the use of fingolimod did not change the clinical course of Covid-19 patients, so that there was no significant difference between the two groups of classical treatment and fingolimod in terms of the majority of laboratory findings and clinical signs. The only experiments that differed significantly between the two groups were mid-hospital Hb levels and Bili T and Bili D at the beginning of hospitalization, all three of which were higher in the fingolimod group.