ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Abnormal peripheral immunological features are associated with the progression of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: Clinical and laboratory data were retrieved in a cohort of 146 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients. Potential risk factors for the development of severe COVID-19 were evaluated. RESULTS: On admission, lymphocytes, CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, eosinophils, and albumin and pre-albumin were dramatically lower, whereas neutrophils, and interleukin (IL)-10, C-reactive protein (CRP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) were significantly higher in severe cases. By the second week after discharge, all variables improved to normal levels. Covariate logistic regression results showed that the CD8+ cell count and CRP level were independent risk factors for severe COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Lower peripheral immune cell subsets in patients with severe disease recovered to normal levels as early as the second week after discharge. CD8+ T cell counts and CRP levels on admission are independent predictive factors for severe COVID-19.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/immunology , Cytokines/metabolism , SARS-CoV-2 , T-Lymphocytes/classification , T-Lymphocytes/physiology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Child , Child, Preschool , China/epidemiology , Cytokines/genetics , Eosinophils , Female , Gene Expression Regulation/immunology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective Studies , Risk Factors , Serum Albumin , Severity of Illness Index , Young AdultABSTRACT
Hericium erinaceus polysaccharide (HEP) is a traditional Chinese medicine. In the present study, chemical composition and antioxidant activity of HEP was investigated. HPLC analysis showed that the HEP was composed of xylose (7.8%), ribose (2.7%), glucose (68.4%), arabinose (11.3%), galactose (2.5%) and mannose (5.2%). HEP was pre-administered to mice by gavage at a dose of 300 mg/kg for 15 days. Results found that HEP preadministration resulted in a significant decline in blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr) and increase in creatinine clearance (CrCI) levels in HEP-pretreated group compared to renal ischemia reperfusion (IR) group. Malondialdehyde (MDA) level significantly increased, whereas Level of reduced glutathione (GSH) markedly decreased in renal IR animals. These results indicate that IR induced renal oxidative injury damage, as indicated by a increase in MDA level, and decrease in GSH level as well as the antioxidant enzymes activity. Such effects reflect that HEP can significantly decrease lipid peroxidation level and increase antioxidant enzymes activities in experimental animals.