Protein Levels in Blood Help Estimate Risks of Serious COVID Cases: Japanese Scientists
A study has found that among COVID-19 patients, the more severe symptoms are, the higher concentration of “myosin light chain 9 (Myl9)” — a type of protein — there is in the blood, a Chiba University research group announced on Aug. 1.
The team claims that evaluating the levels of Myl9 in a patient’s blood could help estimate their risks of developing serious COVID-19 cases.
Myl9 is a type of protein believed to play regulatory functions in vascular inflammation. When the scientist team examined the lungs of eight patients who died of COVID-19, they found inflammation and clots in blood vessels, and the thrombi were accompanied with high levels of Myl9.
The group also examined Myl9 concentration levels in 123 COVID-19 inpatients and found that, compared to relatively minor cases, Myl9 levels were three to five times higher among patients who needed oxygen administration. The figure was about 10 times higher among those who died of COVID-19. It was also confirmed that the higher Myl9 concentration levels in their blood, the longer the patients stayed hospitalized.
Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine immunology professor Kiyoshi Hirahara told the Aug. 1 news conference that once a simple testing kit for Myl9 concentration is developed, it will help health professionals determine who should be prioritized for hospitalization care.
The group’s finding has been published in the online edition of the American scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
