The level of the amino alcohol sphingosine can predict in what form a patient will suffer the coronavirus. This was reported by scientists from the Medical University of South Carolina (USA) in their study published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports.
Specialists of about 400 blood serum samples from patients with coronavirus infection, with or without symptoms, as well as healthy volunteers. After analyzing the levels of sphingolipids, the scientists concluded that asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 had elevated levels of sphingosine, one of the sphingolipids. In addition, about 75 percent of patients' cases were characterized by an increase in the level of adenylate cyclase, an enzyme necessary for the production of sphingosine.
“Just by looking at the data, you can clearly distinguish between different patient groups, even without performing statistical analysis,” said lead author of the study, biochemist Alhaji Janneh.
Experts believe that the level of sphingosine with a probability of 99 percent will be possible to determine which patients will develop severe symptoms of coronavirus infection.
