Figure 4.

Different age-related factors contribute to cytokine storm syndromes (CSS). This is a schematic for intrinsic and extrinsic components in both pediatric and adult patients that can lead to the development of CSS. It is understood that different factors contribute to disease onset and progression in these two age groups. Pathogenic gene variants play a major role in a disturbed yin-yang immune baseline in pediatric patients, which is further exacerbated by subsequent encounters with infectious agents. Immune-related disorders can occur and culminate into CSS and related conditions in young patients. For adult populations, a pre-existing malignancy can be present before onset of CSS symptomatology. This imbalanced yin-yang immune response is hyperresponsive towards infectious or therapeutic triggers, leading to the development of a CSS in adult patients. However, there are exceptions to these observations. Pediatric patients can have a pre-existing illness that is not linked to genetic abnormalities. Adult patients with CSS have been identified to have pathogenic gene variants that may contribute to syndrome onset. An infectious trigger or therapeutic regimen may be enough for some adults to develop CSS. Nevertheless, both pediatric and adult patients are capable of developing CSS. Created with BioRender.com.