Abstract

Objective: To investigate the expression of neuropeptide family members in the peripheral blood of children infected with COVID-19 and its correlation with inflammatory indicators.

Methods: Blood samples were collected from 40 newly diagnosed children with COVID-19 infection and 17 hospitalized children with non- COVID-19 bronchial pneumonia in our hospital during the same period. Baseline clinical data were collected and analyzed. Expression and correlation analysis of neuropeptide-related molecules in peripheral blood were detected and analyzed by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA).

Results: In this study, 43% of COVID-19 patients are male. 71% of non-COVID-19 patients are male. ACE and ACE2 in the COVID-19 group were not significantly higher than that in the non-COVID-19 group, and ACE2 in non-COVID-19 and moderate COVID-19 groups was higher than that in severe groups (p=0.04*; p=0.03*). ASCL1 in the non-COVID-19 group was higher than that in the COVID-19 group (p=0.04*). ASCL1 in the non-COVID group was higher than that in the severe COVID group (P=0.02*). There were no significant differences in SP, VIP, and GRP between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 groups. ASCL1 respectively with N% (r=-0.534, p<0.001***), CRP (r =-0.522, p<0.001***) negatively correlated, L% (r=0.572, p<0.001***), AST (r=0.496, p=0.001**) were positively correlated. There was no significant correlation with WBC count, PLT count, ALT, LDH.

Conclusion: In this study found that unlike adults, ACE and ACE2 were not high in children with COVID-19. ASCL1 in children with COVID-19 is lower than that in non-COVID-19 children, which may indicate that ASCL1 may be decreased in COVID-19 patients. At the same time, ASCL1 is negatively correlated with N% and CRP, suggesting that ASCL1 may play a certain role in COVID-19 inflammation.

Keywords: COVID-19; Neuropeptides; Inflammation