This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between exposure to environmental pollutants, particularly benzoaanthracins (BaA), and the severity of the inflammatory response and liver dysfunction in COVID-19 patients, using a combination of statistical analysis and molecular modeling. Molecular docking studies revealed stable and robust interactions between benzoaanthracins and cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes, suggesting that these interactions may contribute to increased oxidative stress and hepatocyte damage. The statistical analysis included 70 COVID-19 patients, stratified by benzoa anthracene exposure. The results showed statistically significant associations between exposure to this pollutant and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, as well as a significant increase in aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) showed an upward trend, but this increase did not reach statistical significance. These findings suggest that exposure to benzoaanthracens may exacerbate systemic inflammation and negatively affect liver function, potentially contributing to the increased severity of clinical symptoms of COVID-19. The study emphasizes the public health importance of reducing exposure to environmental pollutants, particularly among the most vulnerable population groups during health crises. It also highlights the role of bioinformatics and computational modeling in enhancing our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of environmental pollutants and supporting prevention strategies and early intervention.
Alkilidar et al. (Wed,) studied this question.