Prognostic Value of Serum Salusin-α and Salusin-β in COVID-19 Patients

Background: Vascular inflammation has an important role in the development and progression of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Also, a high cytokine level predicts a poor prognosis for COVID-19. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of salusin-α and salusin-β peptides in determining the severity of the disease in the acute period of COVID-19. Method: The investigation involved studying a group of 74 hospitalized individuals who had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. The patients were divided into two groups: those who did not reach the primary endpoint and were discharged without complications and those who reached the primary endpoint (a composite of ICU admission and/or mortality). Salusin-α and salusin-β levels of serum samples taken at the time of application were statistically compared. Outcome: There was no statistically significant difference in salusin-α levels between the groups (p=0.279). However, salusin-β levels were found to be significantly higher in patients who reached the primary endpoint compared to those who did not reach the primary endpoint and the healthy control group. Conclusion: The results of the analysis showed that a salusin-β level of 12.45 ng/mL predicts the risk of complications such as intensive care unit admission or mortality, with a sensitivity of 83.8% and a specificity of 40.5% for the estimation of the primary endpoint. The obtained data support our hypothesis, but observational studies with larger sample sizes are needed to evaluate salusins’ determination of COVID-19 prognosis.