Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Mar 24, 2026 1 hour, 35 minutes ago
Medical News: A new clinical study has uncovered a striking imbalance in two important immune-related hormone molecules in people hospitalized with COVID-19, offering fresh insight into how the virus triggers inflammation in the body. Researchers found that one molecule, chemerin, rises significantly and stays elevated during infection, while another, omentin, remains unchanged—highlighting a potentially important biological signal linked to disease activity.
Elevated chemerin levels may signal ongoing inflammation in COVID-19 patients while protective omentin
remains unchanged
Understanding the Body’s Fat-Derived Signals
Fat tissue is not just a storage site for energy—it also acts like a hormone-producing organ. It releases signaling molecules known as adipokines that help regulate inflammation, metabolism, and immune responses. Among these, chemerin is generally linked to promoting inflammation, while omentin is known for its protective, anti-inflammatory effects.
In this
Medical News report, scientists set out to better understand how these two molecules behave during COVID-19 infection, especially since previous studies have shown conflicting results.
How the Study Was Conducted
The research involved 64 participants, including 40 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and 24 non-infected individuals undergoing routine surgery. Blood samples were collected at admission and again after seven days for COVID-19 patients, while controls were tested once.
The study was conducted by researchers from multiple institutions, including the 2nd Department of General Surgery and Faculty of Medicine at Jagiellonian University Medical College in Kraków, the Department of Endoscopy at University Hospital in Kraków, the Department of Physiology at the Medical University of Silesia in Zabrze, the Department of Medical Statistics in Sosnowiec, the Ludwik Rydygier Memorial Hospital in Katowice, and the Department of Diagnostics at University Hospital in Kraków.
Key Findings Reveal a Clear Pattern
The results revealed a consistent and notable difference between the two molecules:
Chemerin levels were significantly higher in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls.
These levels remained elevated even after one week, suggesting a sustained inflammatory response.
There was also a trend toward further increase over time, indicating ongoing immune activation.
In contrast, omentin levels showed no meaningful difference between patients and controls and remained stable throughout hospitalization.
According to the data shown in the study (see page 4 results and page 2 figure comparisons), chemerin levels were nearly 60–70% higher in infected patients, while omentin levels stayed almost identical across both groups.
What This Means for COVID-19 Inflammation
The findings suggest that chemerin may act as a key driver—or at least a strong marker—of inflammation during COVID-19. Elevated levels of this molecule are known to attract immune cells and amplify inflammatory signals, which could contribute to the body’s intense immune reaction seen in many patients.
At the same time, the lack of change in omentin is equally important. Since omentin normally helps reduce inflammation and protect blood vessels, its stable levels may indicate that the body is not mounting enough of a counter-response to balance the inflammation triggered by the virus.
Why These Results Matter
This imbalance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory signals could help explain why some patients experience prolonged inflammation even in mild to moderate cases. It also raises the possibility that chemerin could be used as a biomarker to track disease progression or even predict complications.
Additionally, the study reinforces the idea that COVID-19 affects not only the lungs but also broader metabolic and immune pathways, particularly those linked to fat tissue and systemic inflammation.
Study Limitations and Future Directions
While the findings are compelling, the researchers note that the study involved a relatively small number of participants and mainly included non-critical cases. More research is needed to determine whether chemerin levels correlate with severe illness, long COVID, or recovery outcomes.
Future studies may also explore whether targeting these adipokines could lead to new treatment strategies.
Conclusion
This study provides strong evidence that chemerin plays an active role in the body’s inflammatory response to COVID-19, while omentin appears largely unaffected. The sustained rise in chemerin highlights a potential mechanism behind persistent inflammation and may open the door to better monitoring and treatment approaches. Understanding these biological signals could be key to managing both acute infection and long-term complications.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Frontiers in Medicine.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2026.1785101/full
For the latest COVID-19 news, keep on logging to Thailand
Medical News.
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/coronavirus
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/long-covid
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