Sex distinctions regarding serum zinc levels in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Cristina Gama Matos Pereira, Marco Antônio Prado Nunes, Arthur Leite Lessa, Lara Carvalho Cerqueira, Octavio Morais Veloso, Felipe Mendes Delpino, Andrêa Ferreira, Fernanda Noronha de Góis, Patrícia Santos Rodrigues Costa, Heitor Oliveira Santos

Journal: Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS) 2023;79():127262

PMID: 37451092

Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

PURPOSE

Men and women exhibit different presentations in COVID-19. In X chromosome, changes in zinc finger domains cause disorders of sex development. So, we aimed to evaluate sex distinctions regarding serum zinc in severe COVID-19.

METHOD

Data from electronic records of severe COVID-19 patients were correlated with serum zinc. Logistic regression investigated predictors and protectors of hypozincemia in men and women.

RESULTS

We assessed 188 medical records (men = 114, women = 74). In men, low zinc was correlated with hypertension (cc = 0.303, p < 0.001), diabetes (cc = 0.198, p = 0.031), hemoglobin (cc = -0.258, p = 0.005), and albumin (cc = -0.219, p = 0.027). Low lymphocyte count (cc = 0.315, p = 0.005), C-reactive protein (cc = -0.248, p = 0.037), and enteral nutrition (cc = 0.269, p = 0.016) were correlated with hypozincemia in women. Age correlated with low zinc in men (c = -0.304, p = 0.001) and women (cc = -0.298, p = 0.010). In men, hypertension (OR = 4.905, p = 0.005) and lymphopenia (OR = -0.999, p = 0.019) were low zinc predictors, while lung injury > 50% was a protective factor (OR = -0.280, p = 0.025). Lymphopenia (OR = -0.999, p = 0.005) and difficult weaning from mechanical ventilation (MV) (OR = 4.359, p = 0.036) were predictors of hypozincemia in women. Difficult weaning from MV (OR = 3.012, p = 0.003) and age (OR = 1.038, p = 0.002) were hypozincemia predictors regardless sex.

CONCLUSION

Hypertension, diabetes, hemoglobin and albumin were correlated with low zinc in men. Lymphopenia, reactive-C protein and enteral nutrition were correlated with low zinc in women. In men, hypertension and low lymphocytes were predictors of hypozincemia. Lymphopenia and difficult weaning from MV were predictors of low zinc in women.

Address: Departamento de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS), Campus da Saúde Prof. João Cardoso Do Nascimento Júnior, CCBS, Rua Cláudio Batista, s/n, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil; São Lucas Hospital - Rede D'OR (HSL), EMTN, Avenida Coronel Stanley da Silveira s/n, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil. Electronic address: [email protected].; Departamento de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS), Campus da Saúde Prof. João Cardoso Do Nascimento Júnior, CCBS, Rua Cláudio Batista, s/n, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil.; Pós Graduação em Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel), Rua Gomes Carneiro, 01 / 2º andar - Sala 208, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.; Departamento de Nutrição, Universidade Federal da Bahia, (UFBA), Rua Araújo Pinho 32, Canela, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.; São Lucas Hospital - Rede D'OR (HSL), EMTN, Avenida Coronel Stanley da Silveira s/n, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil.; Departamento de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS), Campus da Saúde Prof. João Cardoso Do Nascimento Júnior, CCBS, Rua Cláudio Batista, s/n, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil; São Lucas Hospital - Rede D'OR (HSL), EMTN, Avenida Coronel Stanley da Silveira s/n, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil.; Escola de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), Avenida Pará, bloco 2u, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais 1720, Brazil.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2023.127262

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MeSH Terms: Male, Humans, Female, Critical Illness, COVID-19, Zinc, Minerals, Hemoglobins, Hypertension, Lymphopenia, Albumins