Abstract
Objective. The importance of in vitro laboratory diagnostic tests for COVID-19 lies in assessing disease severity, monitoring patients, therapeutic monitoring, and predicting disease prognosis. The aim of our study was to evaluate inflammation biomarkers in COVID-19 patients and their association with biomarkers of cardiomyocyte, liver, and kidney damage, and how they impact disease progression.
Methods. The study included 50 patients, 38 (76%) male and 12 (24%) female, with an average age of 64.38 ± 10.95 years, treated for COVID-19 in 2021 at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases of the University Clinical Center Kragujevac. Biomarkers of inflammation, cardiomyocyte, liver, and kidney damage were analyzed at the beginning of hospitalization and on the tenth day using standard laboratory methods and autoanalyzers.
Results. Analysis showed a significant increase in inflammation parameters on the tenth day of hospitalization compared to initial values: leukocytes (p=0.003), neutrophils (p=0.002), platelets (p<0.001), C-reactive protein (p<0.001), PCT (p=0.011), and IL-6 (p=0.004). Hepatocyte damage biomarkers (ALT (p=0.005), GGT (p=0.033)), and kidney function biomarkers (urea (p<0.001) and creatinine (p=0.042)) also increased significantly. Positive correlations were found between inflammation biomarkers and cardiomyocyte and hepatocyte damage at admission. CRP and PCT concentrations were associated with increased risk of cardiomyocyte damage, while neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) predicted heart and kidney damage.
Conclusion. Systemic inflammation in COVID-19 patients leads to disruptions in body homeostasis, reflected in changes in inflammation biomarkers and multi-system tissue and organ damage. Monitoring these parameters can help predict disease progression and complications.
Key words: biomarkers, COVID 19, inflammation, multisystem damage