Expression and correlation analysis of neuropeptide-related molecules in
peripheral blood of patients with COVID-19
Abstract
Objective To investigate the expression of neuropeptide family members
in the peripheral blood of children infected with COVID-19 and its
correlation with inflammatory indicators. Methods Blood samples were
collected from 40 newly diagnosed children with COVID-19 infection and
17 hospitalized children with non-COVID-19 bronchial pneumonia in our
hospital during the same period. Baseline clinical data were collected
and analyzed. Expression and correlation analysis of
neuropeptide-related molecules in peripheral blood were detected and
analyzed by ELISA. Results In this study, 43% of COVID-19 patients are
male. 71% of non-COVID-19 patients are male. ACE and ACE2 in the
COVID-19 group were not significantly higher than that in the
non-COVID-19 group, and ACE2 in non-COVID-19 and moderate COVID-19
groups was higher than that in severe groups (p=0.04*; p=0.03*). ASCL1
in the non-COVID-19 group was higher than that in the COVID-19 group
(p=0.04*). ASCL1 in the non-COVID group was higher than that in the
severe COVID group (P=0.02*). There were no significant differences in
SP, VIP, and GRP between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 groups. ASCL1
respectively with N % (r = -0.534, p < 0.001 * * *), CRP (r
=- 0.522, p < 0.001 * * *) negatively correlated, L % (r =
0.572, p< 0.001 * * *), AST (r = 0.496, p = 0.001 * *) were
positively correlated. There was no significant correlation with WBC
count, PLT count, ALT, LDH. Conclusions We found that, unlike adults,
ACE and ACE2 were not high in children with COVID-19. ASCL1 in children
with COVID-19 is lower than that in non-COVID-19 children, which may
indicate that ASCL1 may be decreased in COVID-19 patients. At the same
time, ASCL1 is negatively correlated with N% and CRP, suggesting that
ASCL1 may play a certain role in COVID-19 inflammation.