A review on function and side effects of systemic corticosteroids used in high-grade COVID-19 to prevent cytokine storms

Authors

  • Mohammad Amin Langarizadeh Student Research Committee, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
  • Marziye Ranjbar Tavakoli Student Research Committee, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
  • Ardavan Abiri Student Research Committee, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
  • Ali Ghasempour Student Research Committee, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
  • Masoud Rezaei Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
  • Alieh Ameri Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Tel: +98-34-31325172 ; E-mail: al_ameri@kmu.ac.ir; 60ameri@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0910-1516

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2020-3196

Keywords:

COVID-19, cytokine storm, corticosteroid therapy, SARS-CoV-2, adverse effects

Abstract

In December 2019, a cluster of pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), officially known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. Cytokine storm is an uncontrolled systemic inflammatory response resulting from the release of large amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines that occurs at phase 3 of viral infection. Such emergence led to the development of many clinical trials to discover efficient drugs and therapeutic protocols to fight with this single-stranded RNA virus. Corticosteroids suppress inflammation of the lungs during the cytokine storm, weaken immune responses, and inhibit the elimination of pathogen. For this reason, in COVID-19 corticosteroid therapy, systemic inhibition of inflammation is observed with a wide range of side effects. The present review discusses the effectiveness of the corticosteroid application in COVID-19 infection and the related side effects of these agents. In summary, a number of corticosteroids, including and especially methylprednisolone and dexamethasone, have demonstrated remarkable efficacy, particularly for COVID-19 patients who underwent mechanical ventilation.

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Published

2021-02-15

How to Cite

Langarizadeh , M. A. ., Ranjbar Tavakoli , M. ., Abiri , A. ., Ghasempour , A. ., Rezaei , M. ., & Ameri, A. (2021). A review on function and side effects of systemic corticosteroids used in high-grade COVID-19 to prevent cytokine storms . EXCLI Journal, 20, 339–365. https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2020-3196

Issue

Vol. 20 (2021)

Section

Review articles

License

Copyright (c) 2021 Mohammad Amin Langarizadeh , Marziye Ranjbar Tavakoli , Ardavan Abiri , Ali Ghasempour , Masoud Rezaei , Alieh Ameri

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