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Updated: Nov 17, 2025
Evaluation of a Point-of-Care Testing Analyzer for Measuring Peripheral Blood Leukocytes
Published on: March 22, 2022
Association between peripheral lymphocyte count and the mortality risk of COVID-19 inpatients
Saibin Wang1, Yijun Sheng2, Junwei Tu2
1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Jinhua Municipal Central Hospital, Jinhua Hospital of Zhejiang University, No. 365, East Renmin Road, Jinhua, 321000, Zhejiang Province, China. saibinwang@hotmail.com.
Insights
Peripheral lymphocyte counts (PLCs) in COVID-19 patients show a non-linear relationship with mortality risk. Reduced PLCs below 0.95 × 10^9/L are linked to significantly higher mortality, indicating their predictive potential.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Investigating the prognostic value of peripheral lymphocyte counts (PLCs) in COVID-19 patients.
- Assessing the association between PLCs and mortality risk in hospitalized COVID-19 cases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the relationship between peripheral lymphocyte counts (PLCs) and mortality in COVID-19 patients.
- To evaluate the predictive potential of PLCs for in-hospital death among COVID-19 patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 134 COVID-19 hospitalized patients.
- Utilized multiple regression analysis to assess PLC and mortality risk.
- Developed a predictive model for death based on admission PLC.
Main Results:
- A non-linear relationship was observed between PLCs and mortality risk, with a threshold at 0.95 × 10^9/L.
- COVID-19 patients with PLCs < 0.95 × 10^9/L exhibited significantly higher mortality risk (OR 7.27).
- PLC demonstrated a predictive power for death with an AUC of 0.78, showing clinical utility.
Conclusions:
- Peripheral lymphocyte counts have a non-linear association with mortality in COVID-19 inpatients.
- Reduced PLCs (< 0.95 × 10^9/L) are a significant risk factor for increased mortality.
- PLCs hold potential as a predictive biomarker for mortality in COVID-19 patients.
Background:
To explore the relationship between peripheral lymphocyte counts (PLCs) and the mortality risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as well as the potential of PLC for predicting COVID-19 hospitalized patients death.
Methods:
Baseline characteristics, laboratory tests, imaging examinations, and outcomes of 134 consecutive COVID-19 hospitalized patients were collected from a tertiary hospital in Wuhan city from January 25 to February 24, 2020. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between the PLC at admission and mortality risk in COVID-19 patients and to establish a model for predicting death in COVID-19 hospitalized patients based on PLC.
Results:
After adjusting for potential confounding factors, we found a non-linear relationship and threshold saturation effect between PLC and mortality risk in COVID-19 patients (infection point of PLC: 0.95 × 109/L). Multiple regression analysis showed that when PLCs of COVID-19 patients were lower than 0.95 × 109/L, the patients had a significantly higher mortality risk as compared to COVID-19 patient with PLCs > 0.95 × 109/L (OR 7.27; 95% CI 1.10-48.25). The predictive power of PLC for death in COVID-19 patients (presented as area under the curve) was 0.78. The decision curve analysis showed that PLC had clinical utility for the prediction of death in COVID-19 inpatients.
Conclusions:
PLC had a non-linear relationship with mortality risk in COVID-19 inpatients. Reduced PLCs (< 0.95 × 109/L) were associated with an increased mortality risk in COVID-19 inpatients. PLCs also had a potential predictive value for the death of COVID-19 inpatients.
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