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Investigating Biomarkers for COVID-19 Morbidity and Mortality
Flavio Maria Ceci1, Giampiero Ferraguti1, Marco Lucarelli1
1Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Insights
Early detection of COVID-19 mortality risk is possible using routine lab tests. Altered levels of albumin, lipase, AST, ALT, LDH, MGB, CK, IL-6, ferritin, CRP, and D-dimer can indicate fatal outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Biochemistry
Background:
- COVID-19 poses significant morbidity and mortality risks.
- Early identification of high-risk patients is crucial for timely intervention.
- Routine laboratory parameters are widely available for patient assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify early laboratory parameters predicting COVID-19 mortality.
- To investigate the association between routine biomarkers and patient outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 382 COVID-19 patients.
- Categorization into ward survivors, ICU survivors, and deceased groups.
- Analysis of routine laboratory parameters at hospitalization.
Main Results:
- Concomitant alterations in albumin, lipase, AST, ALT, LDH, MGB, CK, IL-6, ferritin (women), CRP, and D-dimer indicated fatal outcomes.
- These biomarkers served as early indicators of mortality risk.
Conclusions:
- Routine laboratory biomarkers are valid indicators of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality.
- Albumin and MGB changes suggest liver and heart damage, predicting fatal outcomes.
- These findings aid in early risk stratification for COVID-19 patients.
Background And Objectives:
This retrospective study aims to disclose further early parameters of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality.
Methods:
Three hundred and eighty-two COVID-19 patients, recruited between March and April 2020, were divided into three groups according to their outcome: (1) hospital ward group (patients who entered the hospital wards and survived); (2) intensive care unit (ICU) group (patients who attended the ICU and survived); (3) the deceased group (patients admitted to ICU with a fatal outcome). We investigated routine laboratory parameters such as albumin, glycemia, hemoglobin amylase, lipase, AST, ALT, GGT, LDH, CK, MGB, TnT-hs, IL-6, ferritin, CRP, PCT, WBC, RBC, PLT, PT, INR, APTT, FBG, and D-dimer. Blood withdrawal was carried out at the beginning of the hospitalization period.
Results:
ANOVA and ROC data evidenced that the concomitant presence of alterations in albumin, lipase, AST, ALT, LDH, MGB, CK, IL-6, ferritin in women, CRP and D-dimer is an early sign of fatal outcomes.
Conclusion:
The present study confirms and extends the validity of routine laboratory biomarkers (i.e., lipase, AST, ALT, LDH, CK, IL-6, ferritin in women, CRP and D-dimer) as indicators of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, the investigation suggests that both gross changes in albumin and MGB, markers of liver and heart damage, may early disclose COVID-19 fatal outcomes.
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