Evaluation of zinc, copper, and Cu:Zn ratio in serum, and their implications in the course of COVID-19

Abstract

Background The dynamics of essential metals such as Copper (Cu) and Zinc (Zn) may be associated with the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that has spread across the globe. Objectives The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between serum levels of Cu and Zn, as well as the Cu:Zn ratio in the acute phase of COVID-19 along with the assessment of their connection to other laboratory parameters (hematological, biochemical, hemostatic). Methods Serum levels of Cu and Zn were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry in 75 patients in the acute COVID-19 phase and were compared with those of 22 COVID-19 patients evaluated three months after the acute phase of the disease (‘non-acute’ group) and with those of 68 healthy individuals . Results In comparison with both the non-acute patients and the healthy controls, the acute patients had lower levels of hemoglobulin and albumin, and higher levels of glucose, creatinine, liver transaminases, C-reactive protein (CRP), and higher values of the neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio (NLR) at the hospital admission. They also exhibited increased levels of Cu and decreased of Zn, well represented by the Cu:Zn ratio which was higher in the acute patients than in both non-acute patients (p = 0.001) and healthy controls (p <0.001), with no statistical difference between the last two groups. The Cu:Zn ratio (log scale) positively correlated with CRP (log scale; r = 0.581, p <0.001) and NLR (r = 0.436, p = 0.003). Conclusion Current results demonstrate that abnormal dynamics of Cu and Zn levels in serum occur early during the course of COVID-19 disease, and are mainly associated with the inflammation response.

Development of Therapeutic and Prophylactic Zinc Compositions for Use against COVID-19: A Glimpse of the Trends, Inventions, and Patents

“…The catalytic functions of zinc are attributed to its antioxidative nature, and to it being an essential component of ~3000 catalytic enzymes (e.g., dismutase, dehydrogenase, anhydrase, carboxypeptidase, aminopeptidase, lyase, metalloproteinase, S-methyltransferase, carboxytransferase, deacylase, hydrolase, nuclease, synthase, etc.) [ 22 , 23 ]. The structural functions of zinc include maintenance and stabilization of the intracellular components/cell membranes [ 22 , 23 ].…”

“…[ 22 , 23 ]. The structural functions of zinc include maintenance and stabilization of the intracellular components/cell membranes [ 22 , 23 ]. The regulatory functions of zinc encompass being a component of DNA/RNA polymerase, many kinases, and ribonuclease [ 22 , 23 ].…”

“…Accordingly, zinc should be consumed regularly in the diet—especially through foods of animal origin (e.g., meat, shellfish, etc. )—or as a supplement/medicine in order to prevent its deficiency [ 22 , 23 , 24 ]. The absorption of zinc increases in a diet containing protein, histidine, methionine, and citrate.…”

The Roles and Pathogenesis Mechanisms of a Number of Micronutrients in the Prevention and/or Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis, COVID-19 and Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus

“…The immune system requires a high supply of certain TEs to accomplish the essential functions needed in defence and surveillance [2][3][4][5][6][7]. Some vitamins and trace elements (TEs) are reported to have key roles to cope with viral infections, such as chronic hepatitis [2][3][4][5][6][7], and COVID-19 [8][9][10], in addition to metabolic disorders, such as type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) [9,11,12].…”

“…Studies have been recently conducted and indicated the benefits of using micronutrients as a natural approach to manage the infectious diseases that affect the respiratory system [18][19][20][21]. Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, which has a high mortality rate, particularly in critically ill patients [12], many studies have been conducted to distinguish the different clinical symptoms; however, the data concerning its pathology as well as the cellular responses to this virus are still limited [22].…”