Role of Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Biomarkers in COVID-19 Pneumonia

INTRODUCTION: SARS-CoV-2 causes severe lung damage and respiratory failure through oxidative stress. Biomarkers play a role in inflammation, in revealing the effects of oxidative stress, and in the regulation of treatment. The aim of our study was to reveal oxidative stress in COVID-19 patients by determining oxidative biomarkers and to examine the relationship of these parameters with lung involvement.
METHODS: The prospectively designed study included 45 patients hospitalized with the diagnosis of COVID-19 and 38 healthy controls. Total thiol, native thiol, disulfide, myeloperoxidase, ischaemia-modified albumin, and acute phase reactant levels to determine oxidative stress and inflammation were compared between the groups. Thorax tomography scoring was performed to determine the severity of pneumonia. The association of oxidative biomarkers with length of hospital stay and radiological score was evaluated.
RESULTS: We found that native thiol and total thiol levels decreased, and disulfide and myeloperoxidase levels increased in COVID-19 patients compared to the control group. A negative correlation was found between the duration of hospitalization and native thiol and total thiol levels (r=-0.312, p=0.043; r=-0.309, p=0.049). Native thiol and total thiol were negatively correlated with lung involvement on thorax tomography (r=-0.450, p=0.002; r=-0.436, p=0.003). MPO level was positively correlated with the duration of hospitalization (r=0.317, p=0.034).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: These oxidative/inflammatory parameters play an important role in the lung involvement and disease monitoring of COVID-19 patients and can be used in the management of patients.