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Prognostic Value of Serum Salusin-α and Salusin-β in COVID-19 Patients
Safiye Bilge Guclu Kayta1, Sevil Alkan Varoglu2, Havva Yasemin Cinpolat3
1Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Bandirma Onyedi Eylül University, Balikesir, Turkey.
Insights
Salusin-beta levels were significantly higher in severe COVID-19 patients, indicating a potential biomarker for disease severity. A level of 12.45 ng/mL predicts intensive care unit admission or mortality risk.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Vascular inflammation is crucial in COVID-19 development and progression.
- Elevated cytokine levels correlate with poor COVID-19 prognosis.
- Salusin peptides' role in COVID-19 severity requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the impact of salusin-alpha and salusin-beta on COVID-19 severity.
- To assess salusin peptide levels in hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 patients.
Main Methods:
- Studied 74 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
- Compared salusin-alpha and salusin-beta serum levels between patients with and without severe outcomes (ICU admission/mortality).
- Included a healthy control group for comparison.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in salusin-alpha levels between groups.
- Significantly higher salusin-beta levels observed in patients with severe COVID-19 outcomes.
- Salusin-beta levels were also higher compared to healthy controls.
Conclusions:
- Salusin-beta is a potential biomarker for predicting severe COVID-19 outcomes.
- A salusin-beta level of 12.45 ng/mL predicts ICU admission or mortality with 83.8% sensitivity and 40.5% specificity.
- Further large-scale studies are needed to confirm salusins' prognostic value in COVID-19.
Abstract:
BackgroundVascular inflammation has an important role in the development and progression of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Also, a high cytokine level predicts a poor prognosis for COVID-19. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of salusin-α and salusin-β peptides in determining the severity of the disease in the acute period of COVID-19.MethodThe investigation involved studying a group of 74 hospitalized individuals who had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. The patients were divided into two groups: those who did not reach the primary endpoint and were discharged without complications and those who reached the primary endpoint (a composite of ICU admission and/or mortality). Salusin-α and salusin-β levels of serum samples taken at the time of application were statistically compared.OutcomeThere was no statistically significant difference in salusin-α levels between the groups (p=0.279). However, salusin-β levels were found to be significantly higher in patients who reached the primary endpoint compared to those who did not reach the primary endpoint and the healthy control group.ConclusionThe results of the analysis showed that a salusin-β level of 12.45 ng/mL predicts the risk of complications such as intensive care unit admission or mortality, with a sensitivity of 83.8% and a specificity of 40.5% for the estimation of the primary endpoint. The obtained data support our hypothesis, but observational studies with larger sample sizes are needed to evaluate salusins' determination of COVID-19 prognosis.
