Abstract
Background/Aims: It is widely known that the imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS)/antioxidants and mitochondrial function could play a pivotal role in aging and in the physiopathology of viral infections. Here, we correlated the plasma oxidants/antioxidants levels of the elderly admitted to a long-term care (LTC) unit with clinical data in relation to flu-like disease/COVID-19. Moreover, in vitro we examined the effects of plasma on cell viability, ROS release and mitochondrial function.Materials and Methods: In 60 patients admitted to LTC unit for at least 1 year at moderate or high care load, demographic and clinical variables were taken. Blood samples were collected for the evaluations of oxidants/antioxidants, as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine, 8-isoprostanes, superoxide dismutase activity, glutathione, and vitamin D. In vitro, human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVEC) were used to examine the effects of plasma on viability, ROS release and mitochondrial membrane potential.Results: The results obtained showed that the redox state of the elderly was quite balanced; mitochondrial membrane potential of HUVEC was reduced by about 20%, only. Also, the correlation analysis evidenced the association between mitochondrial function and the patients’ outcomes. Interestingly, lower levels of mitochondrial membrane potential were found in the elderly who had symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 or with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19.Conclusion: The results of this study highlight the importance of mitochondrial function in the tendency to get a flu-like syndrome like COVID-19 in the elderly admitted to LTC unit. This information could have clinical implications for the management of old population.
Highlights
Aging arises from the accumulation of oxidative damage to cells and tissues, which is associated with a progressive increase in the chance of morbidity and mortality (Junqueira et al, 2004)
As a further descriptive analysis, we evaluated any possible association among the oxidative stress markers measured in plasma or released by human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVEC) treated with plasma of the elderly (Table 2)
We have found a positive moderate correlation between plasma levels of Thymosin β4 and the mitochondrial membrane potential of HUVEC (r = 0.579, p = 0.001) and between the reactive oxygen species (ROS) released by HUVEC and plasma levels of 25(OH) vitamin D (r = −0.255, p = 0.049)
Summary
Aging arises from the accumulation of oxidative damage to cells and tissues, which is associated with a progressive increase in the chance of morbidity and mortality (Junqueira et al, 2004). The redox state plays a crucial role in aging and in the development of age-related diseases and conditions (Liu et al, 2017). Mitochondria, could play a crucial role in aging since any impairment of mitochondrial function could enhance vulnerability to oxidative stress (Eckmann et al, 2013; Chistiakov et al, 2014; Islam, 2017). The oxidants/antioxidants ratio, which is maintained by enzymatic and non-enzymatic systems, can finely regulate several cell functions. The efficiency of the endogenous antioxidant system often shows a decline, which could account for the high prevalence of cardiovascular and neurologic/psychiatric disorders (Corbi et al, 2008; Checconi et al, 2020)
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