Background: SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with inflammation, decrease in antioxidants and oxidative damage. We aimed to investigate whether ubiquinol, reduced form of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), with mountain spa rehabilitation (MR) will contribute to recovering of patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome.
Methods: The study included 36 patients on MR lasting 16-18 days. Twenty‑two patients were supplemented with ubiquinol 2x100 mg/day (MRQ), 14 underwent MR without supplementation. The control group consisted of 15 healthy volunteers. Concentrations of total CoQ10 (ubiquinone + ubiquinol), α- and γ-tocopherol were determined in platelets (PLT), in blood and plasma, also β-carotene was determined. Plasma concentration of thiobarbituric acid‑reactive substances (TBARS) was used as the oxidative stress marker. Clinical symptoms were evaluated by questionnaire.
Results: MRQ group showed a significant increase in CoQ10, namely in PLT by 68 %, in blood by 194 %, and in plasma by 232 %. In MR group, CoQ10 stayed unchanged. In both groups, the initially increased concentrations of tocopherols in PLT returned nearly to the control values. β-carotene levels decreased in both groups while TBARS decreased slightly in the MRQ group. More clinical symptoms disappeared in the MRQ group.
Conclusion: Accelerated recovery of patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome was proven after mountain spa rehabilitation and ubiquinol supplementation. Increased systemic and cellular CoQ10 concentration alleviated clinical symptoms and improved antioxidant protection of the patients. We draw attention to the importance of monitoring and ensuring adequate levels of CoQ10 in post-COVID-19 syndrome (Tab. 2, Fig. 1, Ref. 45). Text in PDF www.elis.sk Keywords: COVID-19, mountain spa rehabilitation, ubiquinol, coenzyme Q10, vitamins, TBARS.