AMB Volume 42, Issue 3, 2026 Pages 463-468 https://doi.org/10.59393/amb26420309
Evaluation of IL-18 Level and its Gene Polymorphism in a Sample of COVID-19 Patients
Ali M.H., Mohaisen S.H., Kadhim S.J.
SARS CoV-2 is a virus that causes serious respiratory issues and invades the pulmonary tissue, triggering a widespread immune response through cytokine production. Interleukin-18 plays an important role in regulating both innate and adaptive immunity against immune-related diseases and infections. The study aimed to assess the IL-18 levels among individuals with COVID-19 and its relationship to the rs1834481C>G SNP in the IL-18 gene. Forty unvaccinated severe COVID-19 patients of both sexes were diagnosed with severe COVID-19 using RT-PCR and by medical professionals in the ICU at the Baghdad Hospital. Blood from patients and the control group was collected, and the serum IL-18 level was measured using an ELISA assay. In addition, the study investigates the association between the IL-18 gene-rs1834481C<G SNP intronic polymorphism and susceptibility to severe COVID-19. The study revealed that the IL-18 level (253.23±2.89 pg/mL) was considerably elevated in COVID-19 patients when compared to the control group (76.45±1.21 pg/mL). The distribution of genotypes and allele frequencies showed notable variations in the frequency percentage between those with COVID-19 and those without. In contrast, COVID-19 patients had a significantly higher frequency of the GG genotype than the control group. Thus, the study found an association between homozygous genotype IL-18 genes and severity of COVID-19. Results confirmed that increased serum IL-18 level and their association with the IL-18 gene have a significant correlation with infection severity. Therefore, further studies are required to investigate the therapeutic role of IL-18 in COVID- 19 infection.
Keywords: COVID-19, IL-18 Level, ELISA, rs1834481SNP, gene polymorphism
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