ANTIOXIDANT STATUS AND OXIDATIVE STRESS RESPONSE IN COVID-19-POSITIVE INDIVIDUALS IN SOUTH-WESTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of COVID-19, remains incompletely characterized regarding oxidative stress and antioxidant defense mechanisms. This study investigated oxidant and antioxidant profiles in COVID-19 patients compared with healthy controls in tertiary hospitals in south-western Nigeria. Nasopharyngeal swabs and plasma samples were obtained from 80 COVID-19 patients and 80 controls at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Isolation Centre, Ikeja, Lagos, and the Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital Isolation Centre, Sagamu, Ogun State. The mean ages (Mean ± SD) were 51.53 ± 1.86 and 54.21 ± 1.89, with male-to-female ratios of 46:34 and 28:52, respectively. Serum activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Plasma MDA concentrations were significantly elevated (p < 0.05) in COVID-19-positive subjects relative to controls, indicating enhanced lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. In contrast, SOD and CAT activities, GSH levels, and TAC were significantly reduced (p < 0.05), reflecting impaired antioxidant defense. These biochemical perturbations may contribute to disease severity and progression. Interventions aimed at restoring antioxidant capacity and attenuating oxidative damage could be promising therapeutic strategies for managing COVID-19.