Abstract
WHO has declared COVID-19 as a worldwide, public health emergency. The elderly, pregnant women, and people with associated co-morbidities, including pulmonary disease, heart failure, diabetes, and cancer are the most predisposed population groups to infection. Cell-free DNA is a very commonly applied marker, which is elevated in various pathological conditions. However, it has a much higher sensitivity than standard biochemical markers. cfDNA appears to be an effective marker of COVID-19 complications, and also serves as a marker of certain underlying health conditions and risk factors of severe illness during COVID-19 infection. We aimed to present the possible mechanisms and sources of cfDNA released during moderate and severe infections. Moreover, we attempt to verify how efficiently cfDNA increase could be applied in COVID-19 risk assessment and how it corresponds with epidemiological data.
Highlights
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the greatest worldwide pandemic of the 21st century
Elevated angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression was found in both lung tumors in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), compared to normal tissues
Recent evidence shows that patients affected by COVID-19 and demonstrating more severe symptoms have lower serum levels of fT3 and TSH compared with controls
Summary
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the greatest worldwide pandemic of the 21st century. As mentioned above, circulating cfDNA can increase via numerous mechanisms and in response to a variety of pathophysiological factors This suggests its limited specificity as a biomarker of complications of COVID-19 infection. Numerous reports present the application of cell-free DNA as a marker in many age-related and pathological conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, sepsis, aseptic inflammation, as well as in transplantations [28]. Measurements of cell-free DNA in serum or plasma are minimally invasive and highly precise diagnostic methods, providing real-time observation for a wide spectrum of pathologies, including COVID-19. MPO-DNA complexes, one of the markers of NETosis, was found to be at a high level in a group of patients with obesity who underwent sleeve gastrectomy compared to healthy controls. Age-associated accumulation of metabolites or cell debris might be linked with chronic systemic inflammation
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