assessment of oxidative stress parameters in iraqi male patients with covid-19; a case control study

Background: sars-cov-2 infection can cause significant alterations in our lives. oxidative stress (os) has been proposed to play a major role in covid-19 pathogenesis, and the determination of os biomarkers provides insight into disease severity.methods: the study was conducted during the second wave of the pandemic in 2020. fifty blood samples were collected from patients admitted to one of the covid-19 isolation centers in baghdad, iraq. the samples were subdivided into 25 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (icu) and 25 non-icu patients, compared to 25 healthy controls. all participants were aged 35-52 years.results: the study showed that the mean (±sd) serum total oxidant status (tos) and malondialdehyde (mda) levels were significantly increased (p< 0.001) in the icu group compared to the control and non-icu groups. conversely, the levels of serum total antioxidant capacity (tac) and serum antioxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase (sod), glutathione peroxidase (gpx), catalase, and glutathione (gsh) were significantly decreased (p< 0.001) in the icu group compared to both the control and non-icu groups. serum zinc levels were significantly decreased (p< 0.001) in both icu and non-icu groups compared to the control group, while serum selenium (se), copper (cu), and vitamins c and e were significantly decreased (p< 0.001) in the icu group compared to both the control and non-icu groups.conclusion: the presence of os biomarkers in the sera of covid-19 patients offers a potential new approach for the treatment of this disease.