The Possible Relationship between Inflammation, Liver Dysfunction, and COVID-19 Severity: A cross-sectional study

Document Type : Original article

Authors

1 Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

2 Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

3 Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran

4 Pulmonologist, lung diseases research center, Mashhad University of Medical Science, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Background:The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between inflammatory markers, liver enzymes, lung involvement severity, and mortality in 841 COVID-19 patients admitted to Imam Reza Hospital affiliated to the Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Methods:The study included demographic information, physical and clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, computed tomography (CT) scan scores, and final outcomes.
Results:The mean age of the patients was 58.23±16.44 years, and 39.2% were female. The most common underlying disease was hypertension (51.3%), and the most frequent symptom at presentation was shortness of breath (87.1%). The mortality rate was 33.8%. The results showed a significant direct correlation between CRP levels and LDH levels (r=0.129, p<0.001), as well as between CRP levels and CT scores (r=0.322, p<0.001). There was also a significant inverse correlation between CRP levels and patients' SPO2 (r=-0.309, p<0.001). ESR levels had no significant correlation with SPO2, LDH, AST, ALT, or CT scores. Expired patients had significantly lower SPO2 levels (p<0.001) and ALT (p=0.044), while CRP (p<0.001), LDH (p<0.001), and CT scores (p<0.001) were significantly higher compared to discharged patients.
Conclusions:The findings suggest that serum CRP levels at admission can be used as a predictive factor for the severity of lung involvement and mortality in COVID-19 patients. Liver damage was also associated with worse clinical outcomes. ESR levels had no significant relationship with lung involvement severity and mortality, possibly due to the delay in ESR elevation in response to inflammation.

Keywords

Reviews in Clinical Medicine
Volume 11, Issue 2
June 2024
Pages 36-43

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