Effect of Vaccination on Platelet Mitochondrial Bioenergy Function of Patients with Post-Acute COVID-19

Anna Gvozdjáková; Jarmila Kucharská; Zuzana Rausová; Guillermo Lopéz-Lluch; Plácido Navas; Patrik Palacka; Barbora Bartolčičová; Zuzana Sumbalová

doi:10.3390/v15051085

Effect of Vaccination on Platelet Mitochondrial Bioenergy Function of Patients with Post-Acute COVID-19

Viruses. 2023 Apr 28;15(5):1085. doi: 10.3390/v15051085.

Authors

Anna Gvozdjáková¹, Jarmila Kucharská¹, Zuzana Rausová¹, Guillermo Lopéz-Lluch², Plácido Navas², Patrik Palacka³, Barbora Bartolčičová⁴, Zuzana Sumbalová¹

Affiliations

¹ Pharmacobiochemical Laboratory of 3rd Medical Department, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Sasinkova 4, 811 08 Bratislava, Slovakia.
² Centro Andaluz de Biologia del Desarrollo, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Universidad Pablo de Olavide-CSIC-3A and CIBERER, 41013 Seville, Spain.
³ 2nd Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, 811 08 Bratislava, Slovakia.
⁴ Faculty of Civil Engineering, Slovak Technical University, 811 07 Bratislava, Slovakia.

Abstract

Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction and redox cellular imbalance indicate crucial function in COVID-19 pathogenesis. Since 11 March 2020, a global pandemic, health crisis and economic disruption has been caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus. Vaccination is considered one of the most effective strategies for preventing viral infection. We tested the hypothesis that preventive vaccination affects the reduced bioenergetics of platelet mitochondria and the biosynthesis of endogenous coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ₁₀) in patients with post-acute COVID-19.

Material and methods: 10 vaccinated patients with post-acute COVID-19 (V + PAC19) and 10 unvaccinated patients with post-acute COVID-19 (PAC19) were included in the study. The control group (C) consisted of 16 healthy volunteers. Platelet mitochondrial bioenergy function was determined with HRR method. CoQ₁₀, γ-tocopherol, α-tocopherol and β-carotene were determined by HPLC, TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) were determined spectrophotometrically.

Results: Vaccination protected platelet mitochondrial bioenergy function but not endogenous CoQ₁₀ levels, in patients with post-acute COVID-19.

Conclusions: Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 virus infection prevented the reduction of platelet mitochondrial respiration and energy production. The mechanism of suppression of CoQ₁₀ levels by SARS-CoV-2 virus is not fully known. Methods for the determination of CoQ₁₀ and HRR can be used for monitoring of mitochondrial bioenergetics and targeted therapy of patients with post-acute COVID-19.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05178225.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2 virus; antioxidants; coenzyme Q10; lipid peroxidation; mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation; platelets; post-acute COVID-19; vaccination.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / prevention & control
Humans
Mitochondria
Oxidation-Reduction
SARS-CoV-2
Vaccination

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT05178225

Grants and funding

This research was supported by Comenius University in Bratislava, Faculty of Medicine, Slovakia, Grant Ministry of Education, Slovakia, VEGA 1/0754/20, VEGA 2/0136/20. This publication was created thanks to the support of the Operational Program Integrated Infrastructure for the project: Research and development in medical sciences—the path to personalized treatment of serious neurological, cardiovascular, and tumor diseases (ITMS code: 313011T431), co-financed from means of the European Regional Development Fund.