Changes in Circulating Adipokine Levels in COVID-19 Patients

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Immunology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 presents significant global health challenges.
• Understanding the inflammatory response in COVID-19 patients is crucial for effective management.
• Adipokines, such as visfatin and leptin, play roles in inflammation and metabolic processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in serum visfatin and leptin concentrations in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls.
• To explore the correlation between these adipokines and disease progression or severity.
• To assess the potential of visfatin and leptin as biomarkers for COVID-19.

Main Methods:

• Serum samples were collected from 40 COVID-19 patients and 24 healthy controls upon admission and on day 7.
• Visfatin and leptin concentrations were measured using enzyme immunoassay or ELISA kits.
• Statistical analyses included Shapiro-Wilk test, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, and Spearman's rank correlation.

Main Results:

• COVID-19 patients exhibited significantly lower serum visfatin levels upon admission compared to controls (p < 0.001).
• Visfatin levels in COVID-19 patients normalized to control levels by day 7 of hospitalization.
• No significant differences in leptin levels were observed between COVID-19 patients and controls (p = 0.270, p = 0.129); however, leptin correlated positively with BMI (r = 0.66, p = 0.00).

Conclusions:

• The onset of COVID-19 infection is associated with a significant reduction in visfatin levels.
• The role of leptin in COVID-19 pathogenesis requires further investigation, with its levels influenced by BMI.
• Additional research is necessary to clarify the roles of visfatin and leptin in SARS-CoV-2 infection and their prognostic value.