Neurological symptoms and neuronal damage markers in acute COVID‐19: Is there a correlation? A pilot study

Abstract

A wide spectrum of neurological symptoms (NS) has been described in patients with COVID‐19. We examined the plasma levels of neuron‐specific enolase (NSE) and neurofilament light chain (NFL) together, as neuronal damage markers, and their relationships with clinical severity in patients with NS at acute COVID‐19. A total of 20 healthy controls and 59 patients with confirmed COVID‐19 were enrolled in this pilot prospective study. Serum NSE and NFL levels were measured by using the enzyme‐linked immunoassay method from serum samples. Serum NSE levels were found to be significantly higher in the severe group than in the nonsevere group (p = 0.034). However, serum NFL levels were similar between the control and disease groups (p > 0.05). For the mild group, serum NFL levels were significantly higher in patients with the sampling time ≥5 days than in those with the sampling time <5 days (p = 0.019). However, no significant results for NSE and NFL were obtained in patients with either single or multiple NS across the groups (p > 0.05). Increased serum NSE levels were associated with disease severity regardless of accompanied NS in patients with acute COVID‐19 infection. However, serum NFL levels may have a role at the subacute phase of COVID‐19.

Blood Biomarkers as Prognostic Indicators for Neurological Injury in COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…In case the studies expressed the median and IQR of these biomarkers, they were extracted, and the data were converted into mean (µ) and SD with the formulae described previously (µ = q1 + m + q3/3 and SD = q3 − q1/1.35), where m: median; q1: interquartile 1; and q3: interquartile 3 [34]. The definition of COVID-19 severity was based on at least one of the following criteria: shortness of breath, admission to intensive care unit (ICU), a respiration rate of ≥30 times per minute, blood oxygen saturation of ≤93% at rest, or PaO 2 /FiO 2 ratio of ≤300 mmHg [17,18,25,[35][36][37]. PaO 2 /FiO 2 ratio was defined as the ratio of arterial O 2 partial pressure (PaO 2 expressed in mmHg) to fractional inspired O 2 (FiO 2 expressed as a fraction) and is normally in the range of 400-500 mmHg.…”

Increased galanin-galanin receptor 1 signaling, inflammation, and insulin resistance are associated with affective symptoms and chronic fatigue syndrome due to Long COVID

“…In addition, in acute COVID-19 populations, S100B concentration correlated significantly with organ injury indicators and inflammation markers, including C-reactive protein (CRP) 44 . In patients with acute COVID-19 infection, elevated serum NSE concentrations are correlated with disease severity 43 In patients with MDD and end-stage renal disease, various neuronal damage biomarkers are associated with increased levels of depression, anxiety, and CFS symptoms 45,46 .…”

“…Neuronal damage markers include S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B) and neuronal-specific enolase (NSE) 42, 43 . Serum S100B is a marker of clinical severity in SARS-CoV-2 infection and is involved in COVID-19 44 .…”

“…In addition, in acute COVID-19 populations, S100B concentration correlated significantly with organ injury indicators and inflammation markers, including C-reactive protein (CRP) 44 . In patients with acute COVID-19 infection, elevated serum NSE concentrations are correlated with disease severity 43 In patients with MDD and end-stage renal disease, various neuronal damage biomarkers are associated with increased levels of depression, anxiety, and CFS symptoms 45, 46 . However, the precise mechanisms underlying the connections between neuropsychiatric symptoms due to Long COVID and biomarkers of inflammation such as PGE2, GAL-GALR1 signaling, PAI1, IGF-1, and neuronal biomarkers remain unknown.…”

Erratum

“…The article Sahin et al 1 to which this Erratum refers was published in Journal of Medical Virology 95(1): e28240 (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jmv.28240).…”