Randox Unveils Cytokine Testing for COVID-19 Risk Stratification and Treatment Monitoring

Global diagnostics company Randox Laboratories (Crumlin, UK) has unveiled cytokine testing for COVID-19 risk stratification and treatment monitoring.

Cytokines play a vital role in the immune system and are known to be involved in the body’s response to a variety of inflammatory and infectious disease, such as COVID-19. In addition to COVID-19 risk stratification, cytokine testing has also been linked to monitoring for allergies, vascular diseases, cancer, and a range of autoimmune diseases. Randox’s test, which looks for the presence of cytokines (a type of small protein) is performed on the company’s patented Biochip Technology, which can simultaneously detect multiple analytes from a single patient sample.

Randox’s comprehensive cytokine testing menu comprises 26 different cytokines across four different biochip panels. Designed to make cost, time and resource savings for a range of diagnostic laboratories, Randox Cytokine Biochips can detect up to 12 cytokines and growth factors from a single patient sample. The fully automated and semi-automated testing platforms are available to suit all laboratory throughputs and are suitable for use with serum and plasma samples.

“Cytokine storms, which are the overstimulation of cytokines in response to infection, are a common complication of severe cases of COVID-19, and can trigger excessive, uncontrolled systemic inflammation,” said Lynsey Adams, Randox Marketing Manager. “The monitoring of cytokine proteins therefore offers a unique opportunity to identify patients who, as a result of this viral sepsis, are at risk of poor disease outcomes including pneumonitis, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, respiratory failure, shock, or even organ failure. Treatment for any infection, COVID-19 included, is most effective when administered at an early stage, and so the detection of cytokine storms within COVID-19 patients could provide vitally important information that will direct the appropriate patient care pathway and facilitate improved patient outcomes.”

“The multiplex capabilities of the Randox Biochip will provide clinicians with a more comprehensive picture of the patient’s condition,” added Adams. “Compatible with our Evidence and Evidence Investigator analyzers, which are capable of processing 2960 and 2376 tests per hour respectively, Randox Cytokine Biochip panels offer a comprehensive testing method for these proteins which play such a central role in the immune system.”