Serum Level of Cathelicidin in Covid-19 Patients in Relation with Oral Heath
Author(s): Zeina Sami Adham* and Batool Hassan Al-Ghurabi
Abstract
Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the microorganism that responsible for the pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Cathelicidin is an important host defenses antimicrobial peptide, plays essential roles in both types of immunity (specific and non-specific) and possess antiviral properties. Aim of study: The present study was performed to evaluate the serum level of cathelicidin in COVID-19 patients group in comparison to healthy group and to assess the relationship of cathelicidin level with oral hygiene and clinical features of disease. Materials and Methods: Fifty patients with confirmed COVID-19 by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (29 males and 21 females) were enrolled in this study, their age range (18-77) years. And healthy volunteers their ages and sexes were identical to patients consisted of 35 individuals who were considered as control (16 males and 19 females), their ages ranged between (18-73) years. The serum obtained from COVID-19 patients and healthy controls was analyzed by using commercially available ELISA kit to evaluate the level of cathelicidin. Results: The findings found that there was significant decrease (P<0.01) in level of cathelicidin in patients group as compared to that in healthy group. While there were no significant differences (P>0.05) in levels of cathelicidin nor according to oral hygiene, and not according to disease severity. Conclusions: Low Level of cathelicidin in COVID-19 patients may give additional evidence that immune response is impaired in SARS-CoV-2 infection.