Comparison of ELISA with automated ECLIA for IL-6 determination in COVID-19 patients: An Italian real-life experience

Objectives Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a wide spectrum of clinical severity. A cytokine storm is associated with COVID-19 severity. Of these, IL-6 is significantly associated with higher mortality and is also a marker for predicting disease prognosis. IL-6 may act as a target for therapeutics and, a blockade of IL-6 function by Tocilizumab has been described as a treatment of the inflammatory process COVID-19-related. The aim of this study is to describe our experience comparing two different methods, in detail Human IL-6 Instant ELISA and the Elecsys IL-6 based on ECLIA, for the IL-6 assessment. Desing and methods IL-6 levels from serum samples of 104 COVID-19 patients, admitted to the AOU Careggi (Hospital in Florence -Italy), were assessed by using the two above-mentioned methods and the results were analysed through Passing-Bablok regression fit and Bland-Altman plot. Results The regression exhibited a linear relation between the methods with a regression equation (y = - 0.13 + 0.63 x; 95 % C.I. intercept = − 0.13 to 4.55; 95 % C.I. slope = 1.03 to 1.26 with R2 = 0.89, p > 0.05), showing a positive slope. The agreement of the two methods reported a bias of −25.0 pg/mL. Thus, the two methods correlate, but do not agree in terms of numeric results. Conclusions The two assays showed good comparability. However, because of the extremely wide linear range of the ECLIA, its throughput and its capacity for immune profiling, it represents an interesting emerging technology in the immunology field.