Effect of serum adropin levels on circulating endothelial dysfunction biomarkers in COVID-19 patients

Abstract

Purpose: Several studies show that the symptoms of severe COVID-19 infection reflect the clinical phenotype of endothelial dysfunction and share common pathophysiological mechanisms with endothelial dysfunction. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the effect of serum adropin levels on endothelial dysfunction biomarkers and determine whether adropin could be a new biomarker for COVID-19. Materials and Methods: The study included 40 patients with mild/moderate COVID-19, 48 patients with severe/critical COVID-19, and 37 controls. Serum adropin and circulating biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction including asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), endothelin-1 (ET-1), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels were determined by micro-ELISA. Results: Serum adropin levels were found to be significantly higher in COVID-19 patients (165.2±11.49 pg/ml) than in controls (85.46±12.08 pg/ml). Serum adropin levels of patients with severe/critical symptoms (194±16.23 pg/ml) were significantly higher than the patients with mild/moderate symptoms (130.6 ±14.53). In addition, serum ADMA, eNOS, and, ET-1 levels were significantly higher in the COVID-19 subjects (150.5±8.67 ng/ml, 172.4±14.01 pg/ml, 159.3±10.19 pg/ml, respectively) than that those in the controls (104.5±9.182 ng/ml, 141.4±17.74 pg/ml, 100.1±11.37 pg/ml, respectively). Significant positive correlations were found between adropin and ADMA, eNOS, ET-1, sICAM-1, and PAI-1 levels in the patients. Conclusion: We suggest that adropin may be a new potential biomarker for COVID-19 and an important molecule in restoring endothelial cell damage. Positive correlations between serum adropin levels and ADMA, eNOS, ET-1, sICAM-1 and PAI-1 levels in patients suggest that adropin may compensate for damage to endothelial cells.