Plasma Transport Proteins in Patients with Tuberculosis and COVID-19 at the Stages of Treatment

The objective: to assess changes in the level of lactoferrin and ferritin in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and COVID-19 during treatment, to determine their correlation with parameters of free radical oxidation and antioxidant protection.

Subjects and methods. Levels of lactoferrin and erythrocyte catalase ferritin, neutrophil myeloperoxidase were studied against the background of successful treatment in the group of pulmonary tuberculosis patients (n = 80) and the group of COVID-19 patients (n = 75). Their correlation with parameters of free radical oxidation and antioxidant protection was assessed.

Results. Before treatment, the median level of lactoferrin and ferritin increased in both groups, but in the COVID-19 Group, it was significantly more pronounced. At the end of the intensive phase in the Tuberculosis Group and when clinical improvement was achieved in the COVID-19 Group, the median ferritin level decreased. Increased myeloperoxidase activity and decreased level of erythrocyte catalase were also noted in both groups before treatment start; in the COVID-19 Group, the median level of myeloperoxidase was higher versus the Tuberculosis Group, which correlated with a higher median level of ferritin and lactoferrin in this group. After the end of the intensive phase of tuberculosis treatment and achievement of clinical improvement in COVID-19, there was a decrease in the median levels of myeloperoxidase, which coincided with a decrease in the levels of lactoferrin and ferritin. There was a direct strong correlation between myeloperoxidase-ferritin levels (r = 0.80; p < 0.01) and myeloperoxidase-lactoferrin levels (r = 0.73; p < 0.01). Against the background of treatment, intracellular catalase activity increased in both groups, almost reaching the normal value. Also, there is a strong inverse correlation between catalase and ferritin (r = -0.79; p < 0.01).

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