Dynamic Thiol Disulphide Homeostasis in the Follow-Up of the Prognosis of Patients Treated for COVID-19 in the Intensive Care Unit

Introduction: Evaluation of the prognosis in the early period of intensive care patients and arranging the treatment accordingly is of vital importance. In the present study, we investigated whether serum thiol/disulphide concentration can be used in the follow-up of prognosis in the early period in patients with COVID-19 under intensive care. Methods: The study included 25 patients [their ages were between 19 and 92; 10 (40%) were male and 15 (60%) were female] who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and treated in the intensive care unit (ICU). The patients were followed for four weeks. On the first, third, and fifth days of intensive care treatment, venous blood samples were taken from the patients to analyze the thiol/disulphide parameters, and coma scores were calculated. Statistical analyses were conducted to evaluate the relationship between thiol/disulphide levels and the prognosis of COVID-19 patients. Results: At the end of the four-week follow-up of the patients included in the study, 9 were discharged and 16 died. In patients who died, the relationship between thiol/disulphide homeostasis parameters and coma scores was not statistically significant. Meanwhile, in discharged patients, the relationship between disulphide concentration, total thiol, and coma scores was statistically significant. Conclusion: The relationship between thiol/disulphide homeostasis and coma scores in COVID-19 patients treated in the intensive care unit may help to evaluate the prognosis of the disease in the early period, thus the effectiveness of medical intervention.