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Serum calprotectin as a novel biomarker for severity of COVID-19 disease
Tezcan Kaya1, Selçuk Yaylacı2, Ahmet Nalbant2
1Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Sakarya University, Sakarya, Turkey. tezcan@sakarya.edu.tr.
Insights
Serum calprotectin levels can predict the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Higher levels indicate a greater likelihood of requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission for COVID-19 patients.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Biochemistry
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Limited data exist on the prognostic value of serum calprotectin in COVID-19 patients.
- Biomarkers are crucial for understanding COVID-19 prognosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between serum calprotectin levels and the clinical severity of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients.
- To determine if serum calprotectin can predict the need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cross-sectional cohort study of 80 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
- Patients were categorized into ICU and non-ICU groups.
- Serum calprotectin levels and other laboratory parameters were compared between groups.
Main Results:
- Serum calprotectin levels were significantly higher in ICU patients compared to non-ICU patients.
- Elevated acute-phase reactants (CRP, procalcitonin, ferritin, fibrinogen, WBC) were also observed in ICU patients.
- ROC analysis showed serum calprotectin predicts ICU requirement (AUC=0.641, p=0.031).
Conclusions:
- Serum calprotectin is a potential biomarker for predicting COVID-19 severity.
- Serum calprotectin levels significantly predict the need for ICU admission in COVID-19 patients.
Background:
Some biomarkers have been reported to be related to the prognosis of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There are sparse data regarding the prognostic value of serum calprotectin in COVID-19 patients.
Aims:
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum calprotectin level and clinical severity of COVID-19 disease in hospitalized patients.
Methods:
This retrospective cross-sectional cohort study included 80 consecutive hospitalized patients with confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. The study population was divided into two groups as patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) and patients hospitalized but not in the ICU. The serum calprotectin levels, other laboratory, and clinical parameters were compared between groups.
Results:
The mean age of the patients was 66.5 ± 15.7 years. Of the patients, 42 were in the ICU and 38 were not. Serum calprotectin level and acute-phase reactants such as C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, ferritin, fibrinogen, and white blood cell were significantly higher in ICU patients than in non-ICU patients. ROC curve analysis identified that serum calprotectin level was a predictor for ICU requirement with an area under the curve of 0.641 (p = 0.031). Logistic regression analysis revealed that serum calprotectin was a significant determinant for whether or not patient required the ICU.
Conclusions:
These findings demonstrate that serum calprotectin level seems to be a useful biomarker that can predict the severity of COVID-19 disease. Serum calprotectin is a significant predictor of ICU requirement in patients with COVID-19.
