Could Asymmetric Dimethylarginine Have a Role in COVID-19 Cases?

Objective:Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a disease with respiratory involvement and the virus-induced endothelial dysfunction is pronounced in the clinical course. In COVID-19 patients, to analyze the laboratory findings and the associations may help to better understand the pathophysiology of this disease.Method:We analyzed the laboratory markers including white blood cell, platelet, mean platelet volume, red cell distribution width (RDW), lactate dehydrogenase, procalcitonin, arterial blood gas values and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels of 83 hospitalized COVID-19 patients with pneumonia. Thirty healthy individuals were enrolled as a control group and their laboratory findings were compared.Results:No significant difference of ADMA levels (median value 225.6 μg/L vs 225.6 μg/L) was noted between COVID-19 patients and the control group (p=0.771). ADMA had an inverse correlation with RDW (r=-0.391, p<0.001). C-reactive protein (CRP) was the significant variable when patients were compared to the healthy group (p=0.002).Conclusion:ADMA levels do not increase at the beginning of COVID-19 clinical course. CRP, as an established inflammation marker, has an imperative role in the clinical spectrum of this coronavirus infection.