Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Blood ACE2 protein level correlates with COVID-19 severity

Oksana Shevchuk
* ORCID logo ,
Anastasia Pak
,
Svitlana Palii
ORCID logo ,
Yana Ivankiv
ORCID logo ,
Kateryna Kozak
ORCID logo ,
Mykhaylo Korda
ORCID logo ,
Sandor G. Vari
Version 1 : Received: 5 June 2023 / Approved: 5 June 2023 / Online: 5 June 2023 (14:36:06 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Shevchuk, O.; Pak, A.; Palii, S.; Ivankiv, Y.; Kozak, K.; Korda, M.; Vari, S.G. Blood ACE2 Protein Level Correlates with COVID-19 Severity. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 13957. Shevchuk, O.; Pak, A.; Palii, S.; Ivankiv, Y.; Kozak, K.; Korda, M.; Vari, S.G. Blood ACE2 Protein Level Correlates with COVID-19 Severity. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 13957.

Abstract

ACE2 impact on the severity of COVID-19 is widely discussed but still controversial. To estimate its role in aspects of the main risk factors and comorbidities, we involved post-COVID-19 patients in Ternopil region (Ukraine). Recruitment period was July 2020 to December 2021. Medical records, treatment modalities and outcomes were recorded and analyzed. Serum human ACE2 protein was measured with Cusabio ELISA kits (Houston, TX, USA). Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS21.0 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The level of ACE2 serum protein was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in patients with mild symptoms compared to more severe course of disease, and inversely had changed from 1 to 90 days after recovery. In patients with mild COVID-19, ACE2 level significantly decreased over time, while among critical patients, it increased by 34.1percent. Such results could be explained by ACE2 shedding from tissues into circulation. Loss of the membrane-bound form of the enzyme decreases the virus entry into cells. Our studies did not identify any sex-related ACE2 serum levels correlation. The most common comorbidities were hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases and diabetes mellitus. All comorbidities except respiratory diseases contribute to the severity of disease and correlate with ACE2 blood serum level.

Keywords

COVID-19; ACE2; severity; post-COVID-19 patients; comorbidity.

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Medicine and Pharmacology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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