Deficiency of antioxidants and increased oxidative stress in COVID-19 patients: A cross-sectional comparative study in Jigawa, Northwestern Nigeria
Yahaya Muhammad, Yamuna Aminu Kani, Sani Iliya, Jafaru Bunza Muhammad, Abubakar Binji, Abdurrahman El-Fulaty Ahmad, Muhd Bashir Kabir, Kabir Umar Bindawa, Armaya’u Ahmed
SAGE Open Medicine, doi:10.1177/2050312121991246
Introduction: The COVID-19 is a pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 which has infected over 74 million people, killing more than 1,600,000 million people around the world as of 17th December 2020. Accumulation of free radicals coupled by weakened antioxidant system leads to oxidative stress, which will further worsen respiratory diseases, COVID-19 inclusive. This study aimed to examine the levels of some antioxidants and oxidative stress markers in COVID-19 patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional comparative study in which 50 COVID-19 symptomatic patients who were on admission at the COVID-19 isolation center in Jigawa, Northwestern Nigeria, were recruited. Twenty one (21) apparently healthy individuals were included as controls. Levels of antioxidant trace elements (Se, Zn, Mg, Cu and Cr), 8-isoprostaglandin F2 alpha and malondialdehyde in the plasma and erythrocytes activity of glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase were determined.
Results: The plasma concentrations of vitamins A, C and E were significantly lower (p < 0.001) in COVID-19 patients than controls. Activities of glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase were lower in COVID-19 subjects than controls (p < 0.001). The concentrations of Se, Zn, Mg and Cu were significantly lower (p < 0.001; p = 0.039; p < 0.001; and p < 0.001), respectively, in COVID-19 patients than controls, while chromium showed no significant difference (p = 0.605). Oxidative stress marker, 8-isoprostaglandin F2 alpha, was significantly higher (p = 0.049), while malondialdehyde was lower (p < 0.001) in COVID-19 patients than controls.
Conclusion: In conclusion, COVID-19 patients are prone to depleted levels of antioxidant substances due to their increase utilization in counterbalancing the negative effect of free radicals. Furthermore, COVID-19 infection with other comorbidities, such as malaria, hypertension and diabetes, are at higher risk of developing oxidative stress.
Author contributions All authors contribute effectively in the development of the article; Y.M., Y.A.K., S.I. and M.B.K. designed the study, collected specimens and statistically analyzed the data. A.B., J.B.M., A.E.A., K.U.B. and A.Y.A. interpreted, discussed the findings and drafted the article. All authors reviewed and approved the article prior to submission
Declaration of conflicting interests The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Ethical approval An ethical approval was waived by the HREC of Jigawa State department of infectious diseases, Rasheed Shekoni Specialist Hospital Dutse, as part of the isolation center policy to test patients on these parameters (Waiver No. RSSH/GEN/226/V.1/11). The research was carried out in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki concerning the ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects.
Informed consent A written informed consent for inclusion into the study was obtained from each of the patients before participation in the study. They were made aware that all the information obtained will be treated confidential and would be used for research purpose only.
References
Angel, A comprehensive review article on isoprostanes as biological markers, Biochem Pharmacol
Aninagyei, Tetteh, Banini, Evaluation of haemato-biochemical parameters and serum levels of 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α oxidative stress biomarker in sickle cell-malaria comorbidity, J Appl Microb Res
Arvinte, Singh, Marik, Serum levels of Vitamin C and Vitamin D in a cohort of critically Ill COVID-19 patients of a North American community hospital intensive care unit in May 2020: a pilot study, Med Drug Discov
Barazzoni, Bischoff, Krznaric, ESPEN expert statements and practical guidance for nutritional management of individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection, Clin Nutr
Bassey, Lowry, Brook, The determination of vitamin A and carotene in small quantities of blood serum, J Biol Chem
Beutler, Kelly, The improved method for the determination of blood glutathione, J Lab Clin Med
Care, Chiscano-Camón, Ruiz-Rodriguez, Vitamin C levels in patients with SARS-CoV-2-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome, Crit Care
Delgado-Roche, Mesta, Oxidative stress as key player in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) infection, Arch Med Res
Derbyshire, Delange, COVID-19: is there a role for immunonutrition, particularly in the over 65s?, BMJ Nutr Prevent Health
Derouiche, Oxidative stress associated with SARS-Cov-2 (COVID-19) increases the severity of the lung disease-a systematic review, J Infect Dis Epidemol
Dhama, Latheef, Dadar, Biomarkers in stress related diseases /disorders: diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic values, Front Mol Biosci
Dietz, Obesity and its implications for COVID-19 mortality, Obesity
Dworzanski, Strycharz-Dudziak, Kliszczewska, Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 infected with Epstein-Barr virus, PLoS ONE
Fooladi, Matin, Mahmoodpoor, Copper as a potential adjunct therapy for critically ill COVID-19 patients, Clin Nutr ESPEN
Gardiner, Littlejohn, Halls, Direct determination of selenium in human blood serum and plasma by electro thermal atomic absorption spectrometry, Trace Elem Med Biol J
Ginder, Heth, Colorimeter determination with bound "Calmagite" of magnesium in human bloodserum, Clin Chem
Jan, Usman, Zainab, COVID-19: a brief overview on the role of vitamins specifically vitamin C as immune modulators and in prevention and treatment of SARS-Cov-2 infections, Biomed J Sci Tech Res
Jiang, Xia, Ying, A novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) causing pneumonia-associated respiratory syndrome, Cell Mol Immunol
Jinsong, Kate, Association between regional selenium status and reported outcome of COVID-19 cases in China, Am J Clin Nutr
Johnson, Djuh, Bruton, Improved colorimetric determination of serum zinc, Clin Chem
Kardos, Héja, Simon, Copper signalling: causes and consequences, Cell Commun Signal
Khaerunnisa, Kurniawan, Awaluddin, Potential inhibitor of COVID-19 main protease (Mpro) from several medicinal plant compounds by molecular docking study, Preprints
Kong, Yang, Xue, COVID-19 Docking Server: an interactive server for docking small molecules, peptides and antibodies against potential targets of COVID-19
Mp, COVID-19 infection and oxidative stress: an under-explored approach for prevention and treatment?, Pan African Med J
Muhammad, Aminu, Ahmad, An elevated 8-isoprostaglandin F2 alpha (8-iso-PGF2α) in COVID-19 subjects co-infected with malaria, Pan Afr Med J
Nadiger, Marcus, Chandrakala, Malondialdehyde levels in different organs of rats subjected to acute alcohol toxicity, IJCB
Neil, Pearson, Macro and micro method of determination of serum vitamin E using triflouroacetic acid, Nutr
Nour Eldin, Eldein, El-Readi, Evaluation of the diagnostic and predicative values of 8-isoprostaglandin F2α as a biomarker of breast cancer, Oncol Res Treat
Raha, Mallick, Basak, Is copper beneficial for COVID-19 patients?, Med Hypotheses
Reo, Kuether, Determination of ascorbic acid in whole blood and urine through the 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazinederivate of ascorbic acid, J Biochem
Saleh, Serum levels of selenium, zinc, copper, manganese, and iron in prostate cancer patients, Curr Urol
Shakoor, Feehan, Al, Immune-boosting role of vitamins D, C, E, zinc, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids: Could they help against COVID-19?, Maturitas
Strycharz-Dudziak, Total antioxidant status (TAS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in oropharyngeal cancer associated with EBV infection, Viruses
Taheri, Bahrami, Habibi, A review on the serum electrolytes and trace elements role in the pathophysiology of COVID-19, Biol Trace Elem Res
Velthuis, Van Den Worm, Sims, Zn 2+ inhibits coronavirus and arterivirus RNA polymerase activity in vitro and zinc ionophores block the replication of these viruses in cell culture, PLoS Pathog
Weir, Thenappan, Bhargava, Does vitamin D deficiency increase the severity of COVID-19, Clin Med
Wong, Lui, Jj, Covid-19 and the digestive system, J Gastroenterol Hepatol
Wu, Zhao, Yu, A new coronavirus associated with human respiratory disease in China, Nature
Yasui, Yasui, Suzuki, Analysis of the predictive factors for a critical illness of COVID-19 during treatmentrelationship between serum zinc level and critical illness of COVID-19, Int J Infect Dis
Zabetakis, Norton, COVID-19: the inflammation link and the role of nutrition in potential mitigation, Nutrients
Zeng, Yang, Yuan, Associations of blood essential and toxic metal(loid)s with both disease severity and mortality in patients with COVID-19: a retrospective study, Res Square
Zhang, Taylor, Bennett, Association between regional selenium status and reported outcome of COVID-19 cases in China, Am J Clin Nutr
