Investigating the Apoptosis Status of Peripheral Lymphocytes in COVID-19 Patients in the Post-COVID-19 Era: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background Although COVID-19 has been contained and the world is now in the post-corona era, evidence shows that the coronavirus can still cause hospitalization and even death of patients by inducing cell apoptosis. Aim The present study was conducted to investigate the apoptosis status of peripheral lymphocytes in patients with COVID-19 in the post-corona era. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted using a simple random sampling method in December, 2023, by examining the apoptosis level of peripheral lymphocytes in samples taken from 54 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Velayat Damghan Hospital. Using an RT-PCR test, the nucleic acid of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was identified in all COVID-19 patients. Apoptosis assay was performed using the Annexin V/Propidium Iodide technique. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism and inferential statistics tests. Results A total of 54 patients with COVID-19 in the age range of 21 to 59 years, of whom 44.4% were hospitalized in the non-ICU department and 55.5% in the ICU department. Among them, 27.7% required intubation, while 27.7% did not need intubation. The highest level of apoptosis in peripheral lymphocytes was observed in the intubated ICU (4.28%) and non-intubated ICU (1.89%) groups. The intubation group showed a significant difference from the non-intubation group (p < 0.01). In all groups, there was a significant increase in the level of apoptosis compared to the healthy control group (p < 0.01). Conclusion The increased apoptosis in COVID-19 patients raises concerns about the potential impact on immune function and the development of long-term health complications.