ABSTRACT
Title: To estimate oxidative stress and DNA damage in Post COVID patients. Background There are a subset of COVID-19 patients who develop sequelae to the disease and oxidative stress is a less studied factor in the development of the sequelae. Aims and Objectives: We have estimated levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO) via malondialdehyde assay kit and DNA damage via alkaline comet assay in hospitalized post-COVID patients symptomatic 4 weeks after testing RT-PCR positive and studied their clinical radiological correlation as a means of estimating the oxidative stress in them. Method(s): It was a single-center, hospital-based comparative case-control pilot study in which 40 post-COVID-19 patients and 40 healthy controls were enrolled. The residual symptoms and baseline clinical and radiological profile of the subjects were also assessed and lipid peroxidation and DNA comet analysis were performed in the blood samples of patients and controls. Result(s): Mean value of LPO was increased (1155.9 +/- 204.82 nmol/ml) in post COVID subjects as compared to controls (715.5 +/- 85.51nmole/ml (P=0.0405). Values were directly proportional to the Severity of COVID (P=0.0317) and X-ray severity score(P=0.009) and were found higher in patients with comorbidities (P=0.0320) and multisystem involvement specifically in those developing a neurological sequela (P=0.0083). Damaged DNA tails and the tailing is directly proportional to DNA damage. The comet parameters measured in our study were Tail length, Tail DNA (%), and Olive tail moment. All these comet parameters were found elevated in Post COVID subjects as compared with healthy controls. Conclusion(s): Oxidative stress and DNA damage, has a role in the development of post-COVID sequelae as seen by high levels of LPO and tail DNA in these subjects.
ABSTRACT
Background: We estimated levels of oxidative stress biomarkers (Lipid peroxidation (LPO) via Malondialdehyde MDA concentration , Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Glutathione Reductase (GR) and Total antioxidant activity (TAA) in patients who were symptomatic beyond 4 weeks of COVID infection. Methods: It's a single centre, hospital based case control study in which levels of oxidative stress biomarkers in 40 Long COVID patients and 40 healthy controls were compared and analysed with their clinico-radiological profile. Results: 1. Lipid peroxidation (MDA) was significantly higher (1155.9 ± 204.82nmole/ml) in Long COVID patients as compared to control (715.5 ± 85.51nmole/ml) (p value 0.0405) 2. SOD in Long COVID patients was lower (18.05 ± 2.83 unit/mg) as compared to control (27.36 ± 2.18 unit/ mg) (p value 0.0096) 3. GR was reduced in Long COVID patients (10.2 ± 1.26 unit/min/mg of protein) as compared to control (15.7 ± 1.42 unit/min/mg of protein) (p value 0.0356) 4. TAA was also moderated in Long COVID patients (94.61 ± 16.40mM) as compared to control (241.64 ± 12.95mM) , (p value 0.0486) 5. LPO was directly and remaining markers were inversely proportional to the Severity of COVID and Xray Severity score 6. The patients with added comorbidities showed even higher oxidative stress than those with no comorbidities (p value 0.05) 7. Lipid peroxidation was significantly high in patients who developed neurological sequelae after COVID infection (p value 0.0083). Conclusion: A subset of patients develop a sequelae to COVID infection and in those patients oxidative stress plays a major role.