Soluble ST2 as a Useful Biomarker for Predicting Clinical Outcomes in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.

Soluble suppression of tumorigenesis-2 (sST2) is an emerging biomarker for sepsis as well as for heart failure. We investigated the prognostic utility of sST2 for predicting clinical outcomes in hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. In a total of 52 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, sST2 levels were measured using the ichroma ST2 assay (Boditech Med Inc., Chuncheon-si, Gang-won-do, Republic of Korea). Clinical outcomes included intensive care unit (ICU) admission, ventilator use, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) use, and 30-day mortality. sST2 was analyzed according to clinical outcomes. sST2, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, critical disease, and 4C mortality score were compared using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Kaplan−Meier methods for clinical outcomes. The sST2 level differed significantly according to ICU admission, ventilator use, ECMO use, and 30-day mortality (all p < 0.05). On ROC curve analysis, sST2 predicted ICU admission, ventilator use, ECMO use, and 30-day mortality comparable to SOFA score but significantly better than critical disease. sST2 predicted ICU admission, ventilator use, and ECMO use significantly better than the 4C mortality score. On Kaplan−Meier survival analysis, hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) were 8.4 (2.7−26.8) for sST2, 14.8 (3.0−71.7) for SOFA score, 1.8 (0.5−6.5) for critical disease, and 11.7 (3.4−40.1) for 4C mortality score. This study demonstrated that sST2 could be a useful biomarker to predict ICU admission, ventilator use, ECMO use, and 30-day mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. sST2 may be implemented as a prognostic COVID-19 biomarker in clinical practice.

Prognostic Utility of Procalcitonin, Presepsin, and the VACO Index for Predicting 30-day Mortality in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.

BACKGROUND: Biomarkers and clinical indices have been investigated for predicting mortality in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We explored the prognostic utility of procalcitonin (PCT), presepsin, and the Veterans Health Administration COVID-19 (VACO) index for predicting 30-day-mortality in COVID-19 patients. METHODS: In total, 54 hospitalized COVID-19 patients were enrolled. PCT and presepsin levels were measured using the Elecsys BRAHMS PCT assay (Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Mannheim, Germany) and HISCL Presepsin assay (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan), respectively. The VACO index was calculated based on age, sex, and comorbidities. PCT and presepsin levels and the VACO index were compared using ROC curve, Kaplan-Meier method, and reclassification analysis for the 30-day mortality. RESULTS: ROC curve analysis was used to measure PCT and presepsin levels and the VACO index to predict 30-day mortality; the optimal cut-off values were 0.138 ng/mL for PCT, 717 pg/mL for presepsin, and 12.1% for the VACO index. On Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) were 15.9 (4.1-61.3) for PCT, 26.3 (6.4-108.0) for presepsin, and 6.0 (1.7-21.1) for the VACO index. On reclassification analysis, PCT and presepsin in addition to the VACO index significantly improved the prognostic value of the index. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the prognostic utility of measuring PCT and presepsin levels and the VACO index in COVID-19 patients. The biomarkers in addition to the clinical index were more useful than the index alone for predicting clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients.

Nationwide Implementation of Nonpharmaceutical Interventions During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic Is Associated With Decreased Incidence of Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of nationwide nonpharmaceutical interventions against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the incidence of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) in kidney transplant recipients. The monthly incidence of PCP during the COVID-19 period decreased significantly compared to that of the pre-COVID-19 period in kidney transplant recipients.

Increased Healthcare Delays in Tuberculosis Patients During the First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Korea: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused disruptions to healthcare systems, consequently endangering tuberculosis (TB) control. We investigated delays in TB treatment among notified patients during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Korea. METHODS: We systemically collected and analyzed data from the Korea TB cohort database from January to May 2020. Groups were categorized as 'before-pandemic' and 'during-pandemic' based on TB notification period. Presentation delay was defined as the period between initial onset of symptoms and the first hospital visit, and healthcare delay as the period between the first hospital visit and anti-TB treatment initiation. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate factors associated with delays in TB treatment. RESULTS: Proportion of presentation delay > 14 days was not significantly different between two groups (48.3% vs. 43.7%, P = 0.067); however, proportion of healthcare delay > 5 days was significantly higher in the during-pandemic group (48.6% vs. 42.3%, P = 0.012). In multivariate analysis, the during-pandemic group was significantly associated with healthcare delay > 5 days (adjusted odds ratio = 0.884, 95% confidence interval = 0.715-1.094). CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with healthcare delay of > 5 days in Korea. Public health interventions are necessary to minimize the pandemic's impact on the national TB control project.

Clinical Evaluation of the Rapid STANDARD Q COVID-19 Ag Test for the Screening of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2.

Standard tests for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) detect the presence of viral RNA using real-time reverse transcription (rRT)-PCR. Recently, convenient, rapid, and relatively inexpensive SARS-CoV-2 antigen (Ag) detection methods have been developed. The STANDARD Q COVID-19 Ag test (SD Biosensor, Inc., Suwon, Korea) is a rapid immunochromatography test that qualitatively detects the nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 using gold conjugated antibodies. We evaluated its performance in comparison with that of Allplex 2019-nCoV Assay (Seegene, Seoul, Korea) in a retrospective case-control study using residual samples. The sensitivity and specificity of the STANDARD Q COVID-19 Ag test were 89.2% (58/65) and 96.0% (96/100), respectively. Cycle threshold (Ct) values for the three target SARS-CoV-2 genes (envelope, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, and nucleocapsid genes) included in Allplex 2019-nCoV Assay were significantly lower in Ag test-positive patients than in Ag test-negative patients (P<0.001). The Ag test sensitivity was higher in samples with Ct≤30 and those collected one to five days post symptom onset. In conclusion, the STANDARD Q COVID-19 Ag test can serve as an alternative in high-prevalence settings, when the low sensitivity is compensated or when rRT-PCR tests are limited.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the National PPM Tuberculosis Control Project in Korea: the Korean PPM Monitoring Database between July 2019 and June 2020.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused disruptions to healthcare systems and endangered the control and prevention of tuberculosis (TB). We investigated the nationwide effects of COVID-19 on the national Public-Private Mix (PPM) TB control project in Korea, using monitoring indicators from the Korean PPM monitoring database. METHODS: The Korean PPM monitoring database includes data from patients registered at PPM hospitals throughout the country. Data of six monitoring indicators for active TB cases updated between July 2019 and June 2020 were collected. The data of each cohort throughout the country and in Daegu-Gyeongbuk, Seoul Metropolitan Area, and Jeonnam-Jeonbuk were collated to provide nationwide data. The data were compared using the χ² test for trend to evaluate quarterly trends of each monitoring indicator at the national level and in the prespecified regions. RESULTS: Test coverages of sputum smear (P = 0.622) and culture (P = 0.815), drug susceptibility test (P = 0.750), and adherence rate to initial standard treatment (P = 0.901) at the national level were not significantly different during the study period. The rate of loss to follow-up among TB cases at the national level was not significantly different (P = 0.088); however, the treatment success rate among the smear-positive drug-susceptible pulmonary TB cohort at the national level significantly decreased, from 90.6% to 84.1% (P < 0.001). Treatment success rate in the Seoul metropolitan area also significantly decreased during the study period, from 89.4% to 84.5% (P = 0.006). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that initial TB management during the COVID-19 pandemic was properly administered under the PPM project in Korea. However, our study cannot confirm or conclude a decreased treatment success rate after the COVID-19 pandemic due to limited data.