COVID-19 Affects Serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Neurofilament Light Chain in Aged Men: Implications for Morbidity and Mortality
Carla Petrella,
Maria Antonella Zingaropoli,
Flavio Maria Ceci,
Patrizia Pasculli,
Tiziana Latronico,
Grazia Maria Liuzzi,
Maria Rosa Ciardi,
Antonio Angeloni,
Evaristo Ettorre,
Michela Menghi,
Christian Barbato,
Giampiero Ferraguti,
Antonio Minni,
Marco Fiore
Affiliations
Carla Petrella
Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IBBC-CNR), Department of Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Maria Antonella Zingaropoli
Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00185 Rome, Italy
Flavio Maria Ceci
Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Patrizia Pasculli
Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00185 Rome, Italy
Tiziana Latronico
Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy
Grazia Maria Liuzzi
Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy
Maria Rosa Ciardi
Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00185 Rome, Italy
Antonio Angeloni
Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Evaristo Ettorre
Department of Clinical, Internal Medicine, Anesthesiologic and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
Michela Menghi
Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Christian Barbato
Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IBBC-CNR), Department of Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Giampiero Ferraguti
Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Antonio Minni
Department of Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Marco Fiore
Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IBBC-CNR), Department of Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Background and Methods: Severe COVID-19 is known to induce neurological damage (NeuroCOVID), mostly in aged individuals, by affecting brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) 2 and 9 and the neurofilament light chain (NFL) pathways. Thus, the aim of this pilot study was to investigate BDNF, MMP-2, MMP-9, and NFL in the serum of aged men affected by COVID-19 at the beginning of the hospitalization period and characterized by different outcomes, i.e., attending a hospital ward or an intensive care unit (ICU) or with a fatal outcome. As a control group, we used a novelty of the study, unexposed age-matched men. We also correlated these findings with the routine blood parameters of the recruited individuals. Results: We found in COVID-19 individuals with severe or lethal outcomes disrupted serum BDNF, NFL, and MMP-2 presence and gross changes in ALT, GGT, LDH, IL-6, ferritin, and CRP. We also confirmed and extended previous data, using ROC analyses, showing that the ratio MMPs (2 and 9) versus BDNF and NFL might be a useful tool to predict a fatal COVID-19 outcome. Conclusions: Serum BDNF and NFL and/or their ratios with MMP-2 and MMP-9 could represent early predictors of NeuroCOVID in aged men.
