Background/Objectives: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to pose a significant global health challenge due to its high transmissibility and potential for severe clinical outcomes. Early identification of patients at risk of hospitalization is essential for effective triage in emergency departments and for the optimal allocation of healthcare resources. Methods: This prospective study included 84 patients aged over 18 years who presented to the emergency department on 23 December 2020, with suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection. Initially, 100 patients were evaluated, and 16 were excluded based on predefined exclusion criteria. The mean age of the participants was 53.65 ± 13.62 years, and 39 (46.4%) were women. Results: At admission, the mean signal peptide, CUB domain, EGF (SCUBE-1) level among SARS-CoV-2 patients was 0.16 ± 0.08 ng/mL. There was no significant difference in SCUBE-1 levels between patient and control groups (n = 59 vs. 25), but levels differed significantly between hospitalized and home-treated patients (n = 37 vs. 22; p = 0.001). Neutrophil count (p = 0.001) and NLR (p = 0.010) were higher in patients than controls and also higher in hospitalized than home-treated patients (p = 0.003 and p = 0.015). ROC analysis revealed that SCUBE-1 predicted hospitalization with 84.6% sensitivity and 88.9% specificity. A positive correlation was observed between SCUBE-1 levels and length of hospital stay (p = 0.007, r = 0.554), with a median stay of 9.0 (5.0–11.0) days. Conclusions: SCUBE-1 levels were significantly associated with disease severity in SARS-CoV-2 patients and may serve as a promising biomarker to support clinical decision-making for hospitalization versus home-based management.

Background: Obesity is a major public health issue caused by an abnormal increase in adipose tissue and is linked to increased insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a metabolic condition characterized by high glucose levels that is caused by insulin deficiency and alterations in insulin action mechanisms. Many of the genes associated with obesity are expressed in the central nervous system. Ghrelin, the endogenous ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, has a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs4684677, which is associated with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Adipose tissue secretes hormones known as adipokines, which include resistin and adiponectin, encoded by the ADIPOQ gene. SNPs in the RETN gene (rs1862513) have been linked to obesity and diabetes. Adiponectin is a cytokine generated from adipose tissue, and its polymorphism (rs2241766) increases the incidence of type 2 diabetes. Ghrelin binds to its receptor and promotes the expression of neuropeptide Y (NPY), thereby increasing food intake. NPY (rs16147) polymorphism has been linked to diabetes and obesity. The melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) is a regulator of energy balance and appetite. MC4R (rs17782313) polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of obesity. Methods: Our study included 99 obese with diabetes and 99 non-obese patients with diabetes. RETN (rs1862513), GHRL (rs4684677), MC4R (rs17782313), NPY (rs16147), and ADIPOQ (rs2241766) genes were genotyped using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: As a result, the RETN, MC4R, and NPY polymorphisms showed statistically significant differences in genotype/allele distributions between groups. Conclusions: In conclusion, by representing data from the Turkish population for the first time, this study offers fresh insights and provides a unique perspective on the impact of the indicated genes on obesity, thereby contributing to the understanding of a hitherto unstudied ethnic group.