ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Many studies have found that viral infections affect different tissues, including the inner ear. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a viral infection, is a significant health problem worldwide. Prestin is a motor protein with important functions both in the outer hair cells of the inner ear and in cardiac tissue. In addition, prestin is promising as an early biomarker in the detection of ototoxicity. To determine the severity of infection in COVID-19 patients and to determine whether other tissues are affected by the infection, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), biochemical markers such as ferritin and D-dimer are used. This study aimed to compare prestin levels in patients with COVID-19 and healthy volunteers. METHODS: In blood samples taken from 45 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and 40 healthy volunteers, prestin levels were determined with the kit that used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method and was commercially available. At the same time, LDH, CRP, ALT, AST, CK-MB, ferritin, and D-dimer levels were also detected in both patients and healthy control groups and correlations with prestin levels were examined. RESULTS: The main result of our study is that serum prestin levels in COVID-19 patients are significantly higher than in healthy controls ( p < 0.001). In addition, a statistically significant strong positive correlation was found between prestin-LDL ( r = 0.537, p = 0.001), prestin-CRP ( r = 0.654, p = 0.001), and prestin-D-dimer ( r = 0.659, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The levels of prestin, a motor protein in inner ear outer hair cells and cardiac myocytes, were found to be higher in COVID-19 patients than in healthy volunteers. It also showed a positive correlation with CRP and D-dimer. This may be associated with systemic dysfunction.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , Biomarkers , C-Reactive ProteinABSTRACT
Two of the drugs are frequently used in COVID-19 treatment algorithm because of their low cost, easy availability and application;Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and Favipiravir. Our aim in this study is to compare the laboratory parameters of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 Pneumonia in whom HCQ and Favipiravir treatment was initiated, and to reveal the difference in the effectiveness of the treatments. 64 COVID-19 patients whose diagnoses were confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction test (RT-PCR) of nasopharyngeal swab samples and pneumonia image compatible with COVID-19 on Thorax CT were included in the study. Patients were divided into three groups: treated with HCQ, treated with favipiravir, and who were switched to favipiravir treatment when they did not benefit from HCQ. We compared the laboratory values on Day 1, Day 5 and at discharge. When compared in terms of laboratory values, there was no significant difference between the groups in which HCQ and Favipiravir was initiated. In the patient group who did not improve with HCQ and switched to favipiravir treatment, lymphocyte levels increased and ferritin, CRP and d-dimer values decreased. The decrease in D-dimer and CRP values was statistically significant (p= 0.029, p= 0.048). PLT, Hemoglobin, RDW, MPV, NLR, PLR, INR values did not change significantly in any patient group. Our study with the most commonly used drugs in our country reveals that HCQ and Favipiravir are not superior to each other. When we changed the treatment with favipiravir in the group of patients receiving HCQ whose clinical an d / or laboratory values deteriorated, D-dimer and CRP values decreased during discharge. This finding shows how effective the timely treatment change is in the recovery of the patient by closely following the patient clinically and interpreting the laboratory values correctly. In COVID-19, we should direct the treatment of our patients by following the symptoms, risk factors and especially laboratory values.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The SARS-CoV-2 virus affects many organs, especially the lungs, with widespread inflammation. We aimed to compare the endogenous oxidative damage markers of coenzyme Q10, nicotinamide dinucleotide oxidase 4, malondialdehyde, and ischemia-modified albumin levels in patients with pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 and in an healthy control group. We also aimed to compare these parameters between patients with severe and non-severe pulmonary involvement. METHODS: The study included 58 adult patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia and 30 healthy volunteers. CoQ10 and MDA levels were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography. NOX4 and IMA levels were determined by ELISA assay and colorimetric method. RESULTS: Higher levels of CoQ10, MDA, NOX4, and IMA and lower levels of COQ10H were observed in patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia than in the control group. MDA, IMA, NOX4, and CoQ10 levels were significantly higher in patients with severe pulmonary involvement than in patients with non-severe pulmonary involvement, but no significant difference was observed in CoQ10H levels. CoQ10 levels were significantly and positively correlated with both ferritin and CRP levels. CONCLUSION: SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia is significantly associated with increased endogenous oxidative damage. Oxidative damage seems to be associated with pulmonary involvement severity.