Abstract
Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with increased risk and altered immunity to infections, yet little is known about how COVID-19 vaccination affects key signaling pathways in these patients. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK-5) plays a vital role in vascular health and inflammation.
Objectives: This study aims to assess ERK5 levels in type 2 diabetic patients following COVID-19 vaccination, compared to non-diabetic controls.
Patients and Methods: This case-control study enrolled 90 male participants at Fallujah hospital in Al-Anbar province, Iraq, during February to October 2024, stratified into three groups; vaccinated T2DM patients, unvaccinated T2DM patients, and non-diabetic unvaccinated individuals. After obtaining written informed consent, demographic data (age) were collected through interviews. Blood samples from all participants were analyzed for blood sugar, HbA1c, key serum electrolytes (phosphorus, sodium, potassium and chloride), and ERK-5 biomarker levels. The primary outcome was the comparison of serum ERK-5 concentrations across groups to assess the impact of diabetes status and COVID-19 vaccination on ERK-5 expression.
Results: This study included 90 males, with 30 in each of three treatment groups. The comparative analysis indicated that unvaccinated T2DM patients showed significantly higher ERK-5 levels compared to both non-diabetic unvaccinated individuals and vaccinated T2DM groups. Vaccinated T2DM patients exhibited intermediate ERK-5 levels, significantly lower than unvaccinated diabetic counterparts but higher than non-diabetic unvaccinated. These findings indicated a pronounced elevation of ERK-5 in the context of T2DM, with COVID-19 vaccination status appearing to attenuate this increase.
Conclusion: Our study found a significant correlation between T2DM, COVID-19 vaccination, and ERK-5 expression, suggesting vaccination may modulate ERK-5 expression in T2DM. These results introduce ERK-5 as a potential T2DM biomarker and found that COVID-19 vaccination may influence ERK-5 signaling in diabetic patients.