Transcriptional response modules characterize IL-1β and IL-6 activity in COVID-19

Highlights

• Transcriptional response modules reflect IL-1β and IL-6 activity in vivo

• Response modules are superior to single gene transcripts in measuring cytokine activity

• Elevated IL-1β and IL-6 activity is a feature of COVID-19 disease in blood and tissues

• COVID-19 disease severity is not associated with greater IL-1β or IL-6 activity

Summary

Dysregulated IL-1β and IL-6 responses have been implicated in the pathogenesis of severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Innovative approaches for evaluating the biological activity of these cytokines in vivo are urgently needed to complement clinical trials of therapeutic targeting of IL-1β and IL-6 in COVID-19. We show that the expression of IL-1β or IL-6 inducible transcriptional signatures (modules) reflects the bioactivity of these cytokines in immunopathology modelled by juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and rheumatoid arthritis. In COVID-19, elevated expression of IL-1β and IL-6 response modules, but not the cytokine transcripts themselves, is a feature of infection in the nasopharynx and blood but is not associated with severity of COVID-19 disease, length of stay, or mortality. We propose that IL-1β and IL-6 transcriptional response modules provide a dynamic readout of functional cytokine activity in vivo, aiding quantification of the biological effects of immunomodulatory therapies in COVID-19.