Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

COVID-19 Infection Changes the Functions and Morphology of Erythrocytes: A Multidisciplinary Study

2023; Brazilian Chemical Society; Linguagem: Inglês

10.21577/0103-5053.20230031

1678-4790

Marcos Sales, Eloiza Lopes Lira Tanabe, Thamilla Maciel, Maria Célia Tavares, Juliana Alves Leite Leal, Larissa G. Pinto, Keyla Silva Nobre Pires, Jorge Artur Peçanha de Miranda Coelho, Elaine Silva, Samuel Nelson Melegari de Souza, Eduardo Fonseca, Thiago Sotero Fragoso, Thiago Mendonça de Aquino, Alexandre Urban Borbely, Uéslen Rocha, Josué Carinhanha Caldas Santos, Ana Catarina Rezende Leite,

Erythrocyte Function and Pathophysiology

Hematological problems are associated with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Respiratory impairment is the higher point studied, although without experimental studies related to the oxygen transport performed by erythrocytes. Therefore, we decided to investigate if erythrocytes from COVID-19 patients have their functionality changed. The case-control study included hospitalized patients with a positive real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) result admitted to University Hospital. Volunteers (negative RT-PCR results) were recruited as a control group. Thus, we assessed different erythrocytes parameters, oxidative stress markers, and biophysical studies using whole blood and isolated hemoglobin. We found a decrease of 51% in oxygen uptake and reduced antioxidant enzyme activity in COVID-19 patients compared to controls. Raman spectrometry showed structural changes in the hemoglobin and lipids of the erythrocytes from COVID-19 patients; thus, these results were consolidated with an increase in Young’s modulus in erythrocytes followed by morphology changes. Besides, isolated hemoglobin from COVID-19 patients has a distinct interaction profile using a ligand model compared to the control. COVID-19 leads to structural, functional, and morphological damage to human erythrocytes. Our data showed structural and molecular changes and induction of oxidative stress in erythrocytes by COVID-19, a new perspective on the contribution of erythrocytes to a respiratory commitment in COVID-19.