Effect of Treatment with Sodium-dependent Glucose Cotransporter Type 2 Inhibitors on the Levels of Oxidized Low-density Lipoproteins, Interleukin 17A, and Lipoprotein (a) in the Blood of Diabetic Patients who Have Recovered from COVID-19

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are factors that complicate the course of COVID-19, and the last one provokes further complications of these diseases. Oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL) play a crucial role in the occurrence of atherosclerosis. Interleukin-17 (IL-17) regulates NF-κB activity and stimulates the expression of IL-6, which are the key factors that cause a cytokine storm in COVID-19. Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is a genetically determined risk factor for atherosclerosis and other CVDs. The objective: to study the effect of sodium-dependent glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors (SDG-2i) on the levels of oxLDL, IL-17A and Lp(a) in the blood of patients with DM who had COVID-19 in 2020–2023. Materials and methods. The levels of oxLDL, IL-17A and Lp(a) were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits (Elabscience, USA). Results. SGLT-2i drugs effectively reduce the amount of oxLDL in the blood of patients who have recovered from COVID-19. The data obtained indicate a high level of IL-17A in the blood plasma of diabetic patients who have recovered from COVID-19 2–4 years ago. In the absence of treatment of patients with DM with glucose-lowering drugs after COVID-19 the level of IL-17A reaches high values. Patients who recovered from COVID-19 in 2020–2023 had high level of Lp(a). SGLT-2i significantly reduced the concentration of IL-17A, Lp(a) in the blood plasma of patients in the post-COVID-19 period. Conclusions. SGLT2 inhibitors were found to markedly reduce plasma concentrations of oxLDL, IL-17A, and Lp(a) in patients with DM during the post-COVID-19 period. In the absence of glucose-lowering therapy in patients with DM during acute COVID-19, plasma levels of oxLDL, IL-17A, and Lp(a) tend to reach markedly elevated values. Thus, treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for mitigating elevations in oxLDL, IL-17A, and Lp(a) among individuals recovering from COVID-19, thereby potentially improving clinical outcomes in patients with DM in the post-COVID-19 phase.