Decreased serum levels of the inflammaging marker miR-146a are associated with clinical non-response to tocilizumab in COVID-19 patients

Current COVID-19 pandemic poses an unprecedented threat to global health and healthcare systems. The most amount of the death toll is accounted by old people affected age-related diseases that develop a hyper-inflammatory syndrome. In this regard, we hypothesized severity may be linked inflammaging. Here, examined 30 serum samples from patients enrolled in clinical trial NCT04315480 assessing response single-dose intravenous infusion anti-IL-6 receptor drug Tocilizumab (TCZ) with multifocal interstitial pneumonia. these samples, as well 29 age- gender-matched healthy control subjects, assessed set microRNAs regulate inflammaging, i.e. miR-146a-5p, miR-21-5p, miR-126-3p, which were quantified RT-PCR Droplet Digital PCR. We showed who did not respond TCZ have lower levels miR-146a-5p after treatment (p = 0.007). Among non-responders, those lowest experienced adverse outcome 0.008). Our data show blood-based biomarker, such can provide clues about molecular link between inflammaging course, thus allowing better understand use biologic armory against worldwide threat.