ABSTRACT
We examined from a large exploratory study cohort of COVID-19 patients (N = 549) a validated panel of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) markers in different categories of disease severity. Neutrophil elastase (NE), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and circulating nuclear DNA (cir-nDNA) levels in plasma were seen to gradually and significantly (p < 0.0001) increase with the disease severity: mild (3.7, 48.9, and 15.8 ng/mL, respectively); moderate (9.8, 77.5, and 27.7 ng/mL, respectively); severe (11.7, 99.5, and 29.0 ng/mL, respectively); and critical (13.1, 110.2, and 46.0 ng/mL, respectively); and are also statistically different with healthy individuals (N = 140; p < 0.0001). All observations made in relation to the Delta variant-infected patients are in line with Omicron-infected patients. We unexpectedly observed significantly higher levels of NETs in asymptomatic individuals as compared to healthy subjects (p < 0.0001). Moreover, the balance of cir-nDNA and circulating mitochondrial DNA level was affected in COVID-19 infected patients attesting to mitochondrial dysfunction.
