NOS2 and PTGS2 Genes’ Expression during Oxidative Stress in the Blood of Patients with Osteoarthritis after SARS-CoV-2 Infection

It is known that, aside from lung parenchyma damage, the SARS-CoV-2 virus can compromise other organ systems and complicate the condition of pati ents with comorbid pathologies. A special group of such patients consists of people suffering from chronic illnesses, namely osteoarthritis. An important role in osteoarthritis pathogenesis is played by oxidative stress developed due to oxidant–antioxidant equilibrium disturbance and inflammation induction. The aim of the presented work was the estimation of several parameters of free radical process intensity and to analyze NOS2 and PTGS2 genes’ expression in blood of patients with osteoarthritis after beating the SARS-CoV2 infection. All participants were divided into three experimental groups with the same average age in every group. The first group (n = 25) included conditionally healthy people. The second group (n = 25) consisted of patients with II–III-degree knee joint osteoarthritis with the exclusion of possible concomitant coronavirus infection presence by performing epidemiological anamnesis of every patient as well as contacts with people having active COVID-19 disease. The third group (n = 25) were II–III-degree knee joint osteoarthritis patients, having already beaten COVID-19 illness of light or medium severity 6–9 months ago. The following parameters were elucidated: in blood plasma—superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide content and concentration of lipid peroxidation products; in whole blood—nitrogen oxide synthase (NOS2) and cyclooxygenase (PTGS2) gene expression. The results showed the increase in active oxygen radical content and lipid peroxidation product concentration in blood plasma from knee joint osteoarthritic patients also having active SARS-CoV-2 infection, and these increases were more pronounced compared to the patient group with knee joint osteoarthritis only. In blood, it was shown that the expression of the NOS2 gene increased (by 2.5 times in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee joints compared to healthy donors and by 1.3 times in patients with osteoarthritis who had COVID-19, compared to the group of patients with osteoarthritis only) and the PTGS2 gene (by 2.3 times in patients with osteoarthritis compared to healthy volunteers and by 1.3 times in patients with osteoarthritis after SARS-CoV2 infection compared to the group of patients with osteoarthritis), which is associated with the development of oxidative stress and inflammation. The shown research parameter changes indicate more active intensification of free radical processes in blood of osteoarthritis patients that had beaten SARS-CoV2. Taking into consideration the obtained results, the assumption can be made about more severe disease progress and possibility of complications in osteoarthritis patients after SARS-CoV-2. Hence, these patients require a personalized approach in both COVID-19 and further osteoarthritis treatment after recovering from coronavirus infection.