Serum biomarkers associated with SARS-CoV-2 severity

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Virology
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Understanding acute SARS-CoV-2 infection immunity is crucial for differentiating disease severity and identifying prognostic markers.
• Current knowledge gaps exist regarding the immune response profile in mild versus severe COVID-19 cases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the immune response profile in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• To identify and correlate biological marker levels with clinical outcomes (asymptomatic, mild, severe).
• To characterize prognostic signatures for COVID-19 severity.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 71 biomarkers in serum samples from SARS-CoV-2 positive patients and controls.
• Correlation of biomarker levels with clinical groups: control (C), asymptomatic (A), mild (M), and severe (S).
• Utilized RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 confirmation.

Main Results:

• Specific angiogenesis markers were elevated in severe COVID-19 cases compared to other groups.
• Cardiovascular biomarkers including D-dimer, GDF-15, and sICAM-1 were higher in severe cases (S).
• Myoglobin and P-Selectin levels were lower in mild cases (M) compared to severe (S) and asymptomatic (A) groups. Altered cytokine and chemokine profiles were observed in severe cases.

Conclusions:

• Distinct immune response profiles, including angiogenesis, cardiovascular, and cytokine/chemokine markers, are associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection severity.
• Identified biomarkers provide potential prognostic signatures for predicting COVID-19 clinical course.
• Findings contribute to understanding the biological basis of SARS-CoV-2 disease severity.