In 2019–2020 a new coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2 was identified as the causative agent of a several acute respiratory infection named COVID-19, which is causing a worldwide pandemic. There are still many unresolved questions regarding the pathogenesis of this disease and especially the reasons underlying the extremely different clinical course, ranging from asymptomatic forms to severe manifestations, including the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). SARS-CoV-2 showed phylogenetic similarities to both SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV viruses, and some of the clinical features are shared between COVID-19 and previously identified beta-coronavirus infections. Available evidence indicate that the so called “cytokine storm” an uncontrolled over-production of soluble markers of inflammation which, in turn, sustain an aberrant systemic inflammatory response, is a major responsible for the occurrence of ARDS. Chemokines are low molecular weight proteins with powerful chemoattractant activity which play a role in the immune cell recruitment during inflammation. This review will be aimed at providing an overview of the current knowledge on the involvement of the chemokine/chemokine-receptor system in the cytokine storm related to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Basic and clinical evidences obtained from previous SARS and MERS epidemics and available data from COVID-19 will be taken into account.

2019-2020 年，一种名为 SARS-CoV-2 的新型冠状病毒被确定为几种名为 COVID-19 的急性呼吸道感染的病原体，该病毒正在引起全球大流行。关于这种疾病的发病机制，尤其是其临床病程极其不同的原因，从无症状形式到严重表现，包括急性呼吸窘迫综合征（ARDS），仍有许多未解决的问题。SARS-CoV-2 显示出与 SARS-CoV 和 MERS-CoV 病毒的系统发育相似性，并且某些临床特征在 COVID-19 和之前发现的 β 冠状病毒感染之间具有共同特征。现有证据表明，所谓的“细胞因子风暴”是可溶性炎症标志物不受控制的过度产生，进而维持异常的全身炎症反应，是 ARDS 发生的主要原因。趋化因子是具有强大趋化活性的低分子量蛋白质，在炎症期间的免疫细胞募集中发挥作用。本综述旨在概述趋化因子/趋化因子受体系统参与与 SARS-CoV-2 感染相关的细胞因子风暴的当前知识。将考虑从之前的 SARS 和 MERS 流行病中获得的基本和临床证据以及来自 COVID-19 的可用数据。