USP research evaluated blood plasma of people infected with the coronavirus and monitoring can anticipate the severity of the disease
Researchers from USP (University of São Paulo) identified changes in the body of people who have already been detected with covid-19, which may be associated with the risk of health complications.
The imbalance was more pronounced in cases that progressed to the severe form, the scientists report. The work was published in Journal of Proteome Research.
The blood plasma of 110 patients with flu symptoms who were admitted, still in 2020, at Unifesp Hospital (Federal University of São Paulo) were analyzed.
Among these individuals, 57 (control group) were not infected with the coronavirus, while 53 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Among those infected, 10 had complications and were admitted to the ICU and 2 died.
“What we saw in patients who progressed to severe cases of COVID-19 is that there was a more marked change in the concentration of these compounds when they sought medical attention.”says Banny Correia, a postdoctoral fellow at IQSC-USP and one of the authors of the article.
The study’s coordinator, Daniel Cardoso, pointed out that by monitoring the amount of these six substances produced by different metabolic pathways, it is possible to have a prognosis on how serious the infection will be.
“In this way, when the patient seeks help, the doctor can predict through a clinical examination if he will need hospitalization and, thus, act quickly to prevent the evolution of the disease”said.
In addition, Cardoso said that the covid virus infects the cell, alters its metabolism and uses energy pathways to replicate itself. “From this, variations occur in the amount of those six substances, with some having their concentration reduced and others increased. The degree of imbalance in the concentration of these compounds indicates how much metabolism has been affected, allowing to predict whether the patient’s clinical conditions will be worsened,” he added.
With information from FAPESP Agency.