Study of inflammatory markers and their diagnostic effectiveness in patients with COVID-19 patients

   The study examines the relationship between the levels of laboratory serum markers of inflammation and severity in patients with COVID-19.

   The purpose of the study. To investigate the mechanisms of interaction of inflammatory markers and calculate their diagnostic effectiveness in patients with COVID-19 in assessing the severity and prognosis of the disease.

   Materials and methods. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of the blood of 104 patients aged 20–84 years admitted to the hospital. The patients were divided into groups: group 1 – mild degree (n = 14); group 2 – moderate degree (n = 50); group 3 – severe degree (n = 40). The concentration of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), presepsin (PSP), proadrenomedullin (MRpro-ADM), ferritin (F), components of the complement system C 3, C 4 were determined using original reagent kits on automated systems.

   Results. In the obtained results of primary studies in the general group, an increase in the average values of inflammatory markers from reference values was noted. Correlation analysis revealed reliable direct medium and weak connections between markers of inflammation. Threshold
values were obtained when comparing groups with mild and moderate severity for MRpro-ADM, PCT, F, and in the group with moderate and severe severity for PCT, PSP, CRP and IL-6, above which we can talk about the transition of the disease to a moderate and severe degree of the disease, respectively.

   Conclusions. Determination of concentration and threshold values with parameters of diagnostic sensitivity of acute-phase markers of inflammation serves as an additional criterion for assessing the severity of the disease, prognosis, monitoring of treatment, but not specific diagnosis and allows you to understand the mechanisms of the immune system response.

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