## 3 Results and Discussion
### Univariate Data Analysis
#### 3.1.1 Cytokines  
Serum cytokines were compared among groups (Table 2). At a 5% significance level, significant differences were only observed between deceased patients (Group C) and all discharged patients (Groups A and B). Deceased patients exhibited significantly lower levels of IFN-\(\gamma\) (\(p\) = 0.019), IL-2R (\(p\) = 0.016) and VEGF (\(p\) = 0.038) compared to the discharged patients (Figure 2(a)-c). Interestingly, at a 10% significance level, three additional cytokines  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt}} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Variables**} & \multicolumn{6}{c}{**Groups**} \\ \cline{2-9}  & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**A**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**B**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**A + B**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**C**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**\(p\)-Value**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**\(p\)-Value**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**\(p\)-Value**} \\ \multicolumn{1}{c}{**no IMV**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Discharged,**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**All**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Discharged**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**Deceased,**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**A vs. B**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**B vs. C**} & \multicolumn{1}{c}{**A + B vs. C**} \\ \hline
**Median age (IQR); years** & 52.00 (43.25–62.00) & 55.00 (51.00–66.75) & 53.50 (50.25–62.25) & 65.00 (60.50–67.75) & 0.328 (60.50–67.75) & 0.234 (60.50–67.75) & 0.0328 (60.50–67.75) & 0.234 (60.50  
displayed significant differences among groups. Specifically, IFN-\(\beta\) was significantly lower (\(p\) = 0.081) in deceased patients (Group C) compared to discharged patients (Group A and B) (Figure 3d). Furthermore, VEGF showed a significant decrease in deceased patients (Group C) compared to discharged patients in Group B (\(p\) = 0.083) (Figure 3e). Additionally, within discharged patients, IL-1 RN was significantly higher in those under IMV (Group B) compared to those who did not require IMV (Group A) (\(p\) = 0.050) (Figure 3f). VEGF was the sole biomarker associated with the prognosis of mortality in both comparisons, i.e., B vs. C and A plus B vs. C.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt}} \hline \hline
**Groups** & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**Outcome (log\({}_{2}\) (LFQ Intensity))**} \\ \cline{2-9}
**Variables** & **A** & **B** & **A + B** & **C** & **\(p\)-Value** & **\(p\)-Value** & **A + B** \\
**Discharged, no IMV (n = 8)** & **Discharged, INV (n = 8)** & **Discharged** (n = 16)** & **Decased** (n = 8)** & **A vs. B** & **B vs. C** & **v.s C** \\ \hline CCL3 & 12.82 & 14.32 & 13.25 & 13.68 (12.29–14. The decreased IFN-\(\beta\) and IFN-\(\gamma\) as disease severity increased (i.e., from Group A through Group C) was in line with the findings of other authors. Severe cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been associated with compromised interferon type I responses, essential for antiviral immunity, characterized by decreased levels of IFN-\(\alpha\) and even more reduced IFN-\(\beta\)[29]. Other reports have described lower levels of IFN-\(\beta\) in severe COVID-19 cases compared to milder ones and healthy controls [29; 30]. Regarding IFN-\(\gamma\), besides being reported that the levels of this cytokine are elevated for SARS-CoV-2 infected patients, they are lower for those in severe conditions due to the fact that CD4\({}^{+}\) and CD8\({}^{+}\) T cells are primarily affected by the virus [31]. This could explain the worse condition of patients