Inflammatory markers and COVID-19 disease progression.

Area of Science:

• * Infectious Diseases
• * Clinical Medicine
• * Biochemistry

Background:

• * The COVID-19 pandemic presents a global health crisis with ongoing research into disease characteristics and transmission.
• * Elevated inflammatory markers are frequently observed in COVID-19 patients, necessitating further investigation into their relationship with disease severity.
• * Understanding these markers is crucial for managing the pandemic and patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To investigate the correlation between specific inflammatory markers and the severity of COVID-19.
• * To identify key biomarkers that can predict or indicate severe disease progression in COVID-19 patients.

Main Methods:

• * A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 143 COVID-19 PCR-positive patients.
• * Data on demographics, clinical status, and laboratory results were collected from electronic patient records.
• * The study period was from April to September 2020 at Ziauddin Hospital.

Main Results:

• * The majority of patients were elderly males with common comorbidities like diabetes and hypertension.
• * Increased levels of various inflammatory markers were observed in nearly all patients, with procalcitonin being most prevalent (97.2%).
• * Significant differences in Total Leukocyte Count (TLC), C-reactive protein (CRP), Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH), Ferritin, D-dimer, and procalcitonin levels were found in relation to COVID-19 severity (p < 0.05 for all).

Conclusions:

• * A significant association exists between elevated inflammatory marker levels and COVID-19 severity.
• * Most inflammatory markers, excluding procalcitonin, showed a significant correlation with disease severity.
• * These findings contribute to understanding COVID-19 pathogenesis and may aid in predicting and managing severe cases.