Oxidant and antioxidant balance in patients with COVID-19

Pediatr Pulmonol. 2021 Sep;56(9):2803-2810. doi: 10.1002/ppul.25549. Epub 2021 Jul 15.

Abstract

Background: A crucial balance exists between oxidant and antioxidant mechanisms in the functional immune system. We aimed to evaluate the contributions of balance between these systems to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a devastating pandemic caused by viral infection.

Method: We analyzed serum oxidant and antioxidant stress parameters according to the clinical and demographic characteristics of children and adults with COVID-19 and compared them against the values of healthy controls. Serum native thiol (NT), total thiol (TT), disulfide, total antioxidant status, total oxidant status, and ischemia-modified albumin levels were evaluated and compared between groups.

Results: A total of 79 children and 74 adults were evaluated in the present study, including 46 children and 40 adults with COVID-19, 33 healthy children, and 34 healthy adults. TT, NT, and disulfide levels were significantly lower in the adult COVID-19 group than in all other groups (p = .001, p = .001, and p = .005, respectively). Additionally, TT and NT levels were significantly lower in both pediatric and adult COVID-19 cases with severe disease course than mild/moderate course. TT and NT levels were identified as predictors for the diagnosis of the adult COVID-19 cases and as independent predictors for disease severity in both children and adults with COVID-19.

Conclusion: Parameters that reveal the oxidant and antioxidant capacity, including TT and NT, appear to be good candidates for the accurate prediction of the clinical course among patients with COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; oxidative stress; pediatrics; severity; thiols.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antioxidants
  • Biomarkers
  • COVID-19*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Oxidants
  • Oxidative Stress
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Serum Albumin
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Biomarkers
  • Oxidants
  • Serum Albumin