Coronavirus disease 2019 induced inflammatory response are associated with changes in lipid profiles

• In this study Chuanwei Li et al evaluate the effects of Covid-19 on the lipoprotein profiles as it has been demonstrated previously that there is an association between changes in lipids and lipoprotein and viral pneumonia.  

• This is the first preliminary study descriptively evaluating the effects of Covid-19 on 242 different patients between 53-69 in Wuhan.  

• This study shows that patients with covid-19 exhibit atherogenic lipid changes which might correlate with exuberant inflammatory responses.  

Research Highlights

1.  Marked decrease in serum levels of HDL-c and apoA-I in Covid-19 patients 

2.  Consistent with the decrease in apoA-I and increase in apoB, the apoB/apoA-1 ratio, which worked as indices for risk of acute myocardial infarction, were notable increased  

Impact for COVID-19 research:  

• As is it shown in this study, patients with covid-19 show a lipid profile different to healthy patients which could be correlated with exuberant inflammatory responses 

Methodologies: 

• Study Type: cohort study. 

• Key Techniques: Biochemical measurements and lipid profiles including total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol, apoA-1 and apoB. 

Limitations: 

• No data recorded after the recovery of patients 

• No data regarding the viral load to check whether it exists a correlation between the viral load, cytokine storm and lipid levels.