Plasma kallistatin levels in patients with COVID-19

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate kallistatin levels in patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and compare them with healthy controls. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 patients diagnosed with COVID-19, and 45 healthy controls were included in the study. The patient group was divided into 2 groups: patients treated in the service (n:20) and patients treated in the intensive care unit (n:20). Kallistatin levels were measured using the ELISA method. Results: There was a significant difference in kallistatin levels between the patient group (n:40) and the control group (n:45). There was no significant difference in kallistatin between COVID-19 patients treated in the service and those treated in the intensive care unit. We found that the AUC for kallistatin was 0.856 in the ROC analysis performed between the patient and control groups. When comparing service and ICU patients in terms of laboratory parameters, there was a significant difference between the groups due to elevated potassium, AST, creatinine, ferritin, HGB and LDH in ICU patients. Conclusion: As a result, kallistatin levels were significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group. Comprehensive studies with more patients are needed to understand whether kallistatin is elevated in COVID-19 patients due to the effects of COVID-19 or to eliminate oxidative stress.