Andreeva, NatalyaMoiseeva, Svetlana V.Garipova, AlisaShakirova, Venera G.Martynova, Ekaterina V.Salafutdinov, Ilnur IldusovichKhaiboullina, Svetlana F.Davidyuk, Y.N.Khuzwayo, Sinothile S.Gama, Ntombenhle H.Turdikulova, Shahlo U.Dalimova, Dilbar A.Yakubov, MirakbarMorzunov, Sergey P.Rizvanov, Albert AnatolyevichKhaertynova, Ilsiyar M.Kabwe, Emmanuel2026-02-052026-02-052026-01Andreeva, N., Moiseeva, S., Garipova, A. et al. 2026, 'A pilot study of COVID-19 outcomes in people living with HIV in Tatarstan', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 27, no. 1, art. 288, pp. 1-13, doi : 10.3390/ijms27010288.1661-6596 (print)1422-0067 (online)10.3390/ijms27010288http://hdl.handle.net/2263/107887This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targeting of Inflammatory Complications. DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : The original contributions presented in this study are included in the article. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remains a significant public health threat globally with significant socio-economic impacts. People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLWH) have a high risk of severe outcomes of COVID-19 due to immunosuppression. Clinical manifestation of COVID-19 in HIV patients largely remains unclear. We carried out a pilot study to investigate the clinical laboratory data and circulating cytokines in PLWH infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), in Tatarstan, Russia. Serum samples were collected from three groups: PLWH with COVID-19 (PLWH/COVID-19), COVID-19-only, and uninfected controls. We found an increased risk of severe COVID-19 in PLWH/COVID-19 patients compared to COVID-19-only. Four fatal cases were in PLWH/COVID-19, while there was no fatality in COVID-19-only. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, and IL-15, were elevated in PLWH/COVID-19 compered to COVID-19-only. These preliminary findings highlight the potential for more severe COVID-19 in PLWH/COVID-19 where pro-inflammatory cytokines could play pathogenic role.en© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)People living with HIV (PLHIV)Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)Tatarstan, RussiaImmune responseArticle