Assessment of the Pro-oxidant Antioxidant Balance (PAB) in COVID-19 Patients Compared to Healthy Subjects Referred to Masih Hospital

Background: Recent studies have reported that the increase in the pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) in patients with COVID-19 is associated with the exacerbation of clinical manifestations of the disease. The underlying risk factors of these patients, including a history of chronic systemic diseases, also may be associated with PAB disorder. It seems that there should be a significant relationship between clinical disorders and laboratory factors with PAB disorder. This issue was evaluated in this study. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 105 patients referred to Masih Hospital in Tehran in 2021, including 58 subjects with COVID-19 infection and 47 as a control group, were studied. The subjects in this study were evaluated for PAB by the ELISA method. Results: The mean value of PAB in individuals with and without COVID-19 was 72.77±17.66 and 66.53±14.30, respectively, which was significantly higher in COVID-19 patients (P=0.049). In patients with COVID-19, there was a significant correlation between PAB and plasma triglyceride level (P=0.011) and an inverse relationship between PAB level and blood sodium level (P=0.047). In the COVID-19 group, there was no significant relationship between PAB level and histories of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and ischemic heart disease. Conclusion: The increase in PAB is quite evident in patients with COVID-19 compared to healthy individuals. There is a significant relationship between PAB and some laboratory markers in these patients such as blood triglyceride levels as well as decreased serum sodium. Therefore, it still seems that the activity of oxidative stress processes plays a role in the pathogenesis and exacerbation of COVID-19 disease and can be considered one of the therapeutic goals in these patients.