Serum butyrylcholinesterase as a marker of COVID-19 mortality: Results of the monocentric prospective observational study.

The COVID-19 pandemic represents an excessive burden on health care systems worldwide and the number of patients who require special care in the clinical setting is often hard to predict. Consequently, there is an unmet need for a reliable biomarker that could predict clinical outcomes of high-risk patients. Lower serum butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity was recently linked with poor outcomes of COVID-19 patients. In line with this, our monocentric observational study on hospitalized COVID-19 patients focused on changes in serum BChE activity in relation to disease progression. Blood samples from 148 adult patients of both sexes were collected during their hospital stay at the Clinics of Infectiology and Clinics of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Trnava University Hospital in alignment with routine blood tests. Sera were analyzed using modified Ellman's method. Patient data with information about the health status, comorbidities and other blood parameters were collected in pseudonymized form. Our results show a lower serum BChE activity together with progressive decline of BChE activity in non-survivors, while higher stable values were present in discharged or transferred patients requiring further care. Lower BChE activity was associated with higher age and lower BMI. Moreover, we observed a negative correlation of serum BChE activity with the routinely used inflammatory markers, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6. Serum BChE activity mirrored clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients and thus serves as a novel prognostic marker in high-risk patients.

Risk Factors for Severe Course of Covid-19

In early 2019, the coronavirus pandemic became a global concern, especially due to an increased burden of severe cases on the health care system. Several research teams have therefore focused on recognising the susceptible groups for a severe course of COVID-19. The aim of our project was to analyse suggested risk factors of severe COVID-19. Namely, we assessed whether certain sociodemographic data, nonvaccination, and certain comorbidities were associated with a higher risk of a severe course of COVID-19. The health status, pharmacotherapy, and demographic data were obtained from electronic medical records of patients hospitalised in the University Hospital Trnava in the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine and Department of Infectology. Patients were divided into three groups according to their outcome during hospitalization: transfer to another ward, discharge from the hospital, and death. We categorised comorbidities into groups according to the involved organ systems. Chronic pharmacotherapy was divided into subgroups using the ATC system. Consistent with previous results, nonsurvivors, compared to survivors, showed higher age, higher nonvaccination rates, and a greater number of comorbidities. The relationship between higher mortality and gender was, however, not confirmed in our cohort. Cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and Type 2 diabetes mellitus were the most frequent diagnoses in patients with severe COVID-19. Our results highlight the necessity for early monitoring of high-risk patients and implementation of appropriate treatment that could ultimately save lives and contribute to more cost-effective pandemic management. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Acta Facultatis Pharmaceuticae Universitatis Comenianae is the property of Sciendo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Serum Butyrylcholinesterase Activity in Patients With Severe Covid-19

The COVID-19 disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 viral infection represents an excessive burden on health care systems in many countries of the world. Despite the implementation of public health measures and the accessibility of vaccination, their effectiveness in Slovakia is low and with the spread of new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, there is still an unmet need for early and effective identification of people who are likely to develop severe to critical disease. Although several biochemical parameters associated with severe COVID-19 disease progression have been identified to date, the presence of a suitable prognostic marker of disease progression remains absent. Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), an enzyme regulating the activity of the cholinergic system, has been investigated mainly in the past from a toxicological point of view in organophosphate poisoning and from a pharmacological point of view in the context of the metabolism of drugs such as succinylcholine or mivacurium. Its physiological function is still not well understood despite its high activity in serum. In recent years, BChE has been investigated in metabolic disease development such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, and inflammatory processes, factors identified as risks for the development of a more severe course of COVID-19. In our monocentric clinical study, we have focused on the relationships between changes in serum BChE activity, demographic data, and biochemical parameters in relation to disease severity, present comorbidities, pharmacotherapy, and clinical outcomes. Further understanding of these relationships provides promise for the use of new prognostic markers useful for practice. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Acta Facultatis Pharmaceuticae Universitatis Comenianae is the property of Sciendo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)