Clinical and inflammation marker features of cancer patients with COVID-19: data of Istanbul, Turkey multicenter cancer patients (2020-2022).

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify a rapid, accurate, and accessible biomarker in the early stages of COVID-19 that can determine the prognosis of the disease in cancer patients. METHODS: A total number of 241 patients with solid cancers who had a COVID-19 diagnosis between March 2020 and February 2022 were included in the study. Factors and ten different markers of inflammation were analyzed by year of diagnosis of COVID-19 and grouped by severity of infection. RESULTS: Hospitalization, referral to the intensive care unit (ICU), mechanical ventilation, and death were more frequent in 2020 than in 2021 and 2022 (mortality rates, respectively, were 18.8%, 3.8%, and 2.5%). Bilateral lung involvement and chronic lung disease were independent risk factors for severe disease in 2020. In 2021-2022, only bilateral lung involvement was found as an independent risk factor for severe disease. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte platelet ratio (NLPR) with the highest area under the curve (AUC) value in 2020 had a sensitivity of 71.4% and specificity of 73.3% in detecting severe disease (cut-off > 0.0241, Area Under the Curve (AUC) = 0.842, p <.001). In 2021-2022, the sensitivity of the C-reactive protein-to-lymphocyte ratio (CRP/L) with the highest AUC value was 70.0%, and the specificity was 73.3% (cut-off > 36.7, AUC = 0.829, p = .001). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to investigate the distribution and characteristics of cancer patients, with a focus on the years of their COVID-19 diagnosis. Based on the data from our study, bilateral lung involvement is an independent factor for severe disease, and the CRP/L inflammation index appears to be the most reliable prognostic marker.

COVID-19 Biomarkers Comparison: Children, Adults and Elders.

Background and Objectives: this study aimed to research links between C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatinekinase (CK), 25-OH vitamin D (25-OHD), ferritin (FER), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL)cholesterol and clinical severity in patients from the western part of Romania, and compare their potential use as biomarkers for intensive care units (ICU) admission and death in children, adults and elders. Materials and Methods: this study is a retrospective cohort study, performed on patients positively diagnosed with COVID-19. Available CRP, LDH, CK 25-OH vitamin D, ferritin, HDL cholesterol and clinical severity were recorded. The following were assessed: median group differences, association, correlation and receiver operating characteristic. Results: 381 children, 614 adults and 381 elders were studied between 1 March 2021 and 1 March 2022. Most children and adults presented mild symptomatology (53.28%, 35.02%, respectively), while most elders presented severe symptomatology (30.04%). ICU admission was 3.67% for children, 13.19% for adults and 46.09% for elders, while mortality was 0.79% for children, 8.63% for adults and 25.1% for elders. With the exception of CK, all other biomarkers showed some significant associations with clinical severity, ICU admission and death. Conclusions: CRP, LDH, 25-OH vitamin D, ferritin and HDL are important biomarkers for COVID-19 positive patients, especially in the pediatric population, while CK was mostly within normal ranges.

Evaluation of the relationship between TAFI level and prognosis in COVID-19 patients.

OBJECTIVE: Serum thrombin-activated fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) levels were measured in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients requiring intensive care, clinical hospitalization, and outpatient follow-up. The relationships between serum TAFI levels and prognosis were determined. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety patients who had positive COVID-19 PCR test results were randomly selected and included in the study. Subgroups were formed according to the clinical characteristics of the patients as follows: mild, moderate, and severe. Venous blood samples were taken from all patients, and serum C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), fibrinogen, D-dimer, ferritin, and TAFI levels were measured. The results were evaluated by comparing each group. RESULTS: The one-way ANOVA test to determine differences between subgroups resulted in p-values lower than 0.05 for all biochemical analytes (CRP, LDH, fibrinogen, D-dimer, ferritin, and TAFI). Regarding serum TAFI levels, there were significant differences in the severe group (853.04 ± 338.58 ng/mL) compared to the mild group (548.33 ± 264.17 ng/mL). ROC curve analysis to predict mortality revealed that TAFI levels were able to detect 85% of deaths. In addition, ROC analysis revealed that serum TAFI levels could detect 86% of intubated cases. CONCLUSIONS: The disease progression is more severe in patients with high TAFI levels, and high TAFI levels are associated with mortality and intubation rates. Further studies are needed to determine serum TAFI levels as a biomarker of prognosis in COVID-19 patients.

Hematological characteristics of COVID-19 patients with fever infected by the Omicron variant in Shanghai: A retrospective cohort study in China.

BACKGROUND: A wave of the Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has rapidly spread in Shanghai, China. Hematological abnormalities have been reported in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients; however, the difference in hematological parameters between COVID-19 patients with fever and patients who are febrile from other causes remains unexplored. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 663 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients identified by RT-PCR. Clinical parameters, including age, sex, and threshold cycle values of all COVID-19 patients, and hematological parameters of COVID-19 patients in the fever clinic were abstracted for analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 60.8% of COVID-19 patients were male, and the median age was 45 years. Most of COVID-19 patients were asymptomatic, while 25.8% of patients showed fever and 10.9% of patients had other emergencies. COVID-19 patients with fever had significantly lower white blood cells (WBCs), neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets and C-reactive protein (CRP), and significantly higher monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), mean platelet volume (MPV), and mean platelet volume-to-platelet ratio (MPR) levels, compared with those in SARS-CoV-2 negative patients with fever from other causes (p < 0.05). Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), PLR, and systemic inflammatory index (SII) levels were significantly higher in COVID-19 patients with emergencies (p < 0.05). WBCs showed the best performance with an area under the curve (0.756), followed by neutrophils (0.730) and lymphocytes (0.694) in the diagnosis of COVID-19 in the fever clinic. CONCLUSION: WBCs, neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets, CRP and MLR, PLR, and MPR may be useful in early diagnosis of COVID-19 in the fever clinic.

Serial measurements of lymphocytes, D-dimer, LDH, and CRP do not improve the ability to predict COVID-19 adverse outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the discriminatory ability of variations in lymphocyte, D-dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) serum levels at 48 to 72 hours of hospitalization compared with baseline measurements to predict unfavorable clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: We analyzed diagnostic test results based on a retrospective cohort to determine the ability of variations (gradients or ratios) in patients' lymphocyte, D-dimer, CRP, and LDH serum levels taken 48 to 72 hours after hospital admission to predict adverse outcomes such as death, mechanical ventilation, or intensive care unit (ICU) admission developing. RESULTS: Among 810 patients (56.1% men, age 61.6 ± 16.2 years), 37.5% had at least one adverse outcome; 28.2% required ICU admission, 26.5% required mechanical ventilation, and 19.4% died during hospitalization. In comparing baseline measurements with measurements at 48 to 72 hours, D-dimer, lymphocyte delta, LDH, and CRP had similar discriminatory ability (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] 0.57 vs. 0.56, 0.53 vs. 0.57, 0.64 vs. 0.66, and 0.62 vs. 0.65, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Measuring serum risk markers upon hospital admission can be used to evaluate risk of adverse outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Repeating these measurements at 48 to 72 hours does not improve discriminatory ability.

γ' fibrinogen levels as a biomarker of COVID-19 respiratory disease severity.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by a pro-inflammatory state associated with organ failure, thrombosis, and death. We investigated a novel inflammatory biomarker, γ' fibrinogen (GPF), in 103 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and 19 healthy controls. We found significant associations between GPF levels and the severity of COVID-19 as judged by blood oxygen saturation (SpO2). The mean level of GPF in the patients with COVID-19 was significantly higher than in controls (69.8 (95 % CI 64.8-74.8) mg/dL compared with 36.9 (95 % CI 31.4-42.4) mg/dL, p < 0.0001), whereas C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and total fibrinogen levels were not significantly different between groups. Mean GPF levels were significantly highest in patients with severe COVID-19 (SpO2 ≤ 93 %, GPF 75.2 (95 % CI 68.7-81.8) mg/dL), compared to mild/moderate COVID-19 (SpO2 > 93 %, GPF 62.5 (95 % CI 55.0-70.0) mg/dL, p = 0.01, AUC of 0.68, 95 % CI 0.57-0.78; Youden's index cutpoint 62.9 mg/dL, sensitivity 0.64, specificity 0.63). In contrast, CRP, interleukin-6, ferritin, LDH, D-dimers, and total fibrinogen had weaker associations with COVID-19 disease severity (all ROC curves with lower AUCs). Thus, GPF may be a useful inflammatory marker of COVID-19 respiratory disease severity.

C-Reactive Protein (CRP): A Potent Inflammation Biomarker in Psychiatric Disorders.

An increasing number of studies have investigated the role of inflammation in psychiatric disorders, by demonstrating how an altered/dysfunctional immunological and inflammatory system may underpin a psychiatric condition. Particularly, several studies specifically investigated the role of a neuroinflammatory biomarker, named C-reactive protein (CRP), in psychiatric disorders. Overall, even though scientific literature so far published still does not appear definitive, CRP is more likely reported to be elevated in several psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, mood disorders, anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. Moreover, a low-grade inflammation (CRP >3 mg/L) has been more likely observed in a subgroup of patients affected with a more severe psychopathological symptomatology, more treatment resistance and worst clinical mental illness course, strengthening the hypothesis of the need for a different clinical and prognostic characterization based on this concomitant neuroinflammatory predisposition. However, even though further research studies are needed to confirm this preliminary evidence, CRP may represent a potential clinical routine biomarker which could be integrated in the clinical routine practice to better characterize clinical picture and course as well as address clinicians towards a personalized treatment.

Real-world efficacy and safety of vedolizumab in managing ulcerative colitis versus Crohn's disease: results from an Italian multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Vedolizumab (VDZ) can be used to treat refractory ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). We assessed whether there are differences in treating UC vs CD with VDZ. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Mayo score in UC and the Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI) in CD scored the clinical activity. Achievement and maintenance of clinical remission during the follow-up, and safety were the primary endpoints. RESULTS: 729 patients (475 with UC and 254 with CD), median follow-up of 18 (IQR 6-36) months, were enrolled. Clinical remission at the 6th month of treatment was achieved in 488 (66.9%) patients (74.4% in CD vs 62.9% in UC, p<0.002) while, during the follow-up, no difference was found (81.5% in the UC group and 81.5% pts in the CD group; p=0.537). The clinical remission at the 6th month of treatment (p=0.001) and being naïve to biologics (p<0.0001) were significantly associated with prolonged clinical remission. The clinical response was significantly higher in UC (90.1%) vs CD (84.3%) (p=0.023), and surgery occurred more frequently in CD (1.9% in UC vs 5.1% in CD, p=0.016). CONCLUSION: We found differences when using VDZ in UC vs CD in real life. These parameters can help the physician predict this drug's longterm efficacy.

Clinical Features and Blood Indicators for Severity and Prognosis in COVID-19 Patients.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze the clinical manifestations and blood indicators to deepen the understanding of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: COVID-19 patients admitted to C10 West Ward, Tongji Hospital in Wuhan City ("West Ward") between January 31 and March 28, 2020, were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 61 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized, wherein the non-critical Group had 30 cases, while the critical group had 31 (including 14 survivors and 17 deaths). Age, the proportion of fever cases, white blood cell (WBC), basophils, red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP), high-sensitivity troponin, pro-BNP (brain natriuretic peptide), prothrombin time (PT), and D-dimer were higher in the critical group while lymphocytes, eosinophils, albumin were lower compared with those of the non-critical group (all p < 0.05). WBC (p = 0.008), basophils (p = 0.034), and LDH (p = 0.005) of the death subgroup climbed remarkably in comparison with those of the survival subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: Advanced age, high fever, increases in indicators such as WBC, basophils, CRP, LDH, high-sensitivity troponin, pro-BNP, and D-dimer, and decreases in indicators, including lymphocytes, eosinophils, and albumin, might forebode a critical condition.

C-reactive protein to lymphocyte ratio is a significant predictive factor for poor short-term clinical outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.2 patients.

Objective: The aim of the present study is to assess the utility of C-reactive protein to Lymphocyte Ratio (CLR) in predicting short-term clinical outcomes of patients infected by SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.2. Methods: This retrospective study was performed on 1,219 patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.2 to determine the association of CLR with short-term clinical outcomes. Independent Chi square test, Rank sum test, and binary logistic regression analysis were performed to calculate mean differences and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with their 95% CI, respectively. Results: Over 8% of patients admitted due to SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.2. were critically ill. The best cut-off value of CLR was 21.25 in the ROC with a sensitivity of 72.3% and a specificity of 86%. After adjusting age, gender, and comorbidities, binary logistic regression analysis showed that elevated CLR was an independent risk factor for poor short-term clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: C-reactive protein to Lymphocyte Ratio is a significant predictive factor for poor short-term clinical outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.2 inflicted patients.

Multiple infliximab biosimilar switches appear to be safe and effective in a real-world inflammatory bowel disease cohort.

BACKGROUND: Switching from originator infliximab (IFX) to biosimilar IFX is effective and safe. However, data on multiple switching are scarce. The Edinburgh inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) unit has undertaken three switch programmes: (1) Remicade to CT-P13 (2016), (2) CT-P13 to SB2 (2020), and (3) SB2 to CT-P13 (2021). OBJECTIVE: The primary endpoint of this study was to assess CT-P13 persistence following switch from SB2. Secondary endpoints included persistence stratified by the number of biosimilar switches (single, double and triple), effectiveness and safety. METHODS: We performed a prospective, observational, cohort study. All adult IBD patients on IFX biosimilar SB2 underwent an elective switch to CT-P13. Patients were reviewed in a virtual biologic clinic with protocol driven collection of clinical disease activity, C-reactive protein (CRP), faecal calprotectin (FC), IFX trough/antibody levels, and drug survival. RESULTS: 297 patients (CD n = 196 [66%], ulcerative colitis/inflammatory bowel disease unclassified n = 101, [34%]) were switched (followed-up: 7.5 months [6.8-8.1]). This was the third, second and first IFX switch for 67/297 (22.5%), 138/297 (46.5%) and 92/297 (31%) of the cohort respectively. 90.6% of patients remained on IFX during follow-up. The number of switches was not independently associated with IFX persistence after adjusting for confounders. Clinical (p = 0.77), biochemical (CRP ≤5 mg/ml; p = 0.75) and faecal biomarker (FC<250 µg/g; p = 0.63) remission were comparable at baseline, week 12 and week 24. CONCLUSION: Multiple successive switches from IFX originator to biosimilars are effective and safe in patients with IBD, irrespective of the number of IFX switches.

Association of inflammatory and coagulation biomarkers with mortality in patients aged 60 years or older and hospitalized with COVID-19 / Associação entre biomarcadores inflamatórios e da coagulação com mortalidade em pacientes com 60 anos de idade ou mais hospitalizados com COVID-19

Objectives: To analyze the association of inflammatory and coagulation biomarkers with mortality in geriatric patients with COVID-19. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of 206 patients aged 60 years or older who were hospitalized with COVID-19 at an intensive care unit. The analyzed variables were age, sex, length of hospital stay, and inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, procalcitonin, fibrinogen, ferritin, and d-dimer). We constructed a receiver operating characteristic curve and analyzed the area under the curve to evaluate the accuracy of biomarkers associated with mortality in patients with COVID-19. Results: Mean age was 72 (± 8) years. There were 101 deaths (49% of the total sample), which were significantly more frequent (p = 0.006) in the older age groups and were distributed as follows: 37.50% (60 ­ 69 years old); 50% (70 ­ 79 years old); 67.50% (80 ­ 89 years old); and 75% (over 90 years old). Mortality was associated with increased serum levels of procalcitonin, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein, and d-dimer, and decreased fibrinogen levels. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio occupied the largest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (area under the curve 0.859) in this group. Conclusions: In this study, inflammatory biomarkers neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, and d-dimer were associated with mortality in older patients with COVID-19 hospitalized at an intensive care unit, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio presented the best accuracy.

Objetivos: Analisar associação de biomarcadores inflamatórios e da coagulação com mortalidade em pacientes geriátricos com COVID-19. Metodologia: Estudo do tipo coorte retrospectiva de 206 pacientes com 60 anos de idade ou mais internados em unidade de terapia intensiva (UTI) com COVID-19. As variáveis analisadas foram idade, sexo, tempo de permanência hospitalar e biomarcadores inflamatórios, sendo esses proteína C reativa (PCR), relação neutrófilo-linfócitos (RNL), procalcitonina, fibrinogênio, ferritina e D-dímero. Empregou-se a curva ROC, com análise da área sob a curva (ACR), para avaliar a acurácia dos biomarcadores associados à mortalidade nos pacientes com COVID-19. Resultados: A média de idade foi de 72 (± 8) anos. Ocorreram 101 óbitos (49,02% da amostra total), significativamente mais frequente (p = 0,006) nas faixas etárias mais elevadas, distribuídos por faixa etária: 37,50% (60 ­ 69 anos); 50% (70 ­ 79 anos); 67,50% (80 ­ 89 anos); e 75% (nos maiores de 90 anos). A mortalidade foi associada a aumento dos níveis séricos dos biomarcadores procalcitonina, relação neutrófiloslinfócitos (RNL), proteína C reativa (PCR) e D-dímero, bem como diminuição dos níveis de fibrinogênio. A RNL ocupou a maior área sob a curva ROC (ACR 0,859) nesse grupo. Conclusões: Neste estudo, os biomarcadores inflamatórios RNL, procalcitonina, PCR e D-dímero foram associados com mortalidade em pacientes idosos portadores de COVID-19 internados em UTI, e a RNL foi a que apresentou a melhor acurácia.

Association between the overall burden of comorbidity and Ct values among the older patients with Omicron infection: Mediated by inflammation.

Objectives: To investigate the associations between the overall burden of comorbidity, inflammatory indicators in plasma and Ct values among the elderly with COVID-19. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study. The results of each nucleic acid test of during hospitalization were obtained. Linear regression models assessed the associations between the overall burden of comorbidity, inflammatory indicators in plasma and Ct values among the elderly. A causal mediation analysis was performed to assess the mediation effects of inflammatory indicators on the association between the overall burden of comorbidity and Ct values. Results: A total of 767 COVID-19 patients aged ≥ 60 years were included between April 2022 and May 2022. Patients with a high burden of comorbidity had significantly lower Ct values of the ORF gene than subjects with a low burden of comorbidity (median, 24.81 VS 26.58, P < 0.05). Linear regression models showed that a high burden of comorbidity was significantly associated with higher inflammatory responses, including white blood cell count, neutrophil count and C-reactive protein. Also, white blood cell count, neutrophil count, C-reactive protein and the overall burden of comorbidity assessed by age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index were independent risk factors for the Ct values. A mediation analysis detected the mediation effect of white blood cells on the association between the burden of comorbidity and Ct values, with the indirect effect estimates of 0.381 (95% CI: 0.166, 0.632, P < 0.001). Similarly, the indirect effect of C-reactive protein was -0.307 (95% CI: -0.645, -0.064, P = 0.034). White blood cells and C-reactive protein significantly mediated the relationship between the burden of comorbidity and Ct values by 29.56% and 18.13% of the total effect size, respectively. Conclusions: Inflammation mediated the association between the overall burden of comorbidity and Ct values among elderly with COVID-19, which suggests that combined immunomodulatory therapies could reduce the Ct values for such patients with a high burden of comorbidity.

Investigation of Serum Interleukin 6, High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and White Blood Cell Levels during the Diagnosis and Treatment of Paediatric Appendicitis Patients Before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: In this study, we prospectively investigated changes in serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and full white blood cell (WBC) counts during the diagnosis and treatment of paediatric patients with appendicitis. We also investigated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis and treatment processes of paediatric appendicitis patients. Materials and Methods: A non-perforated appendicitis group (n = 110), a perforated appendicitis group (n = 35) and an appendicitis + COVID-19 group (n = 8) were formed. Blood samples were taken upon admission and every day until the three studied parameters returned to normal values. To investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on paediatric appendicitis patients, the perforated appendicitis rates and the times from the onset of the first symptoms to the operation before and during the pandemic were compared. Results: WBC, IL-6, and hsCRP dropped below the upper limits on the second postoperative day in the non-perforated appendicitis group, four to six days postoperatively in the perforated appendicitis group, and three to six days postoperatively in the appendicitis + COVID-19 group. These parameters were not within normal range in patients who developed complications during follow-up. The time from the onset of abdominal pain to the surgery was significantly longer during than before the pandemic in both the non-perforated appendicitis group and the perforated appendicitis group. Conclusions: Our results show that WBC, IL-6, and hsCRP are useful laboratory parameters that can complete clinical examinations in the diagnosis of appendicitis in paediatric patients and the identification of complications that may develop postoperatively.

Point-of-care neutrophil CD64 as a rule in diagnostic test for bacterial infections in the emergency department.

INTRODUCTION: Bacterial infections are frequently seen in the emergency department (ED), but can be difficult to distinguish from viral infections and some non-infectious diseases. Common biomarkers such as c-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell (WBC) counts fail to aid in the differential diagnosis. Neutrophil CD64 (nCD64), an IgG receptor, is suggested to be more specific for bacterial infections. This study investigated if nCD64 can distinguish bacterial infections from other infectious and non-infectious diseases in the ED. METHODS: All COVID-19 suspected patients who visited the ED and for which a definitive diagnosis was made, were included. Blood was analyzed using an automated flow cytometer within 2 h after presentation. Patients were divided into a bacterial, viral, and non-infectious disease group. We determined the diagnostic value of nCD64 and compared this to those of CRP and WBC counts. RESULTS: Of the 291 patients presented at the ED, 182 patients were included with a definitive diagnosis (bacterial infection n = 78; viral infection n = 64; non-infectious disease n = 40). ROC-curves were plotted, with AUCs of 0.71 [95%CI: 0.64-0.79], 0.77 [0.69-0.84] and 0.64 [0.55-0.73] for nCD64, WBC counts and CRP, respectively. In the bacterial group, nCD64 MFI was significantly higher compared to the other groups (p < 0.01). A cut-off of 9.4 AU MFI for nCD64 corresponded with a positive predictive value of 1.00 (sensitivity of 0.27, a specificity of 1.00, and an NPV of 0.64). Furthermore, a diagnostic algorithm was constructed which can serve as an example of what a future biomarker prediction model could look like. CONCLUSION: For patients in the ED presenting with a suspected infection, nCD64 measured with automatic flow cytometry, has a high specificity and positive predictive value for diagnosing a bacterial infection. However, a low nCD64 cannot rule out a bacterial infection. For future purposes, nCD64 should be combined with additional tests to form an algorithm that adequately diagnoses infectious diseases.

Effects of cytokine hemadsorption as salvage therapy on common laboratory parameters in patients with life-threatening COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to emergency approval of treatment modalities unusual for viruses, such as therapeutic cytokine Hemadsorption(HA). This study aims to investigate the experience of salvage HA therapy and the effect of HA on routine laboratory tests. METHODS: Life-threatening COVID-19 patients followed up between April 2020 and October 2022 who underwent HA salvage therapy were retrospectively enrolled. Data derived from the medical records were evaluated to meet the assumptions of statistical tests, and those that met the relevant statistical rules were selected for further analysis. Tests of Wilcoxon, Paired-T, and repeated measures-ANOVA were used to analyse the laboratory tests performed before and after HA among the surviving and nonsurviving patients. P < 0.05 was selected for the statistical significance of the alpha. RESULTS: A total of 55 patients were enrolled in the study. Fibrinogen (p = 0.007), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (p = 0.021), C-reactive protein (CRP) (p < 0.0001), and platelet (PLT) (p = 0.046) levels showed a significant decrease with the HA effect. WBC (p = 0.209), lymphocyte (p = 0.135), procalcitonin (PCT) (p = 0.424), ferritin (p = 0.298), and D-dimer (p = 0.391) levels were not affected by HA. Ferritin level was significantly affected by survival status (p = 0.010). All patients tolerated HA well, and 16.4 % (n = 9) of the patients with life-threatening COVID-19 survived. CONCLUSION: HA is well tolerated even when used as a last option. However, HA may not affect WBC, lymphocyte, and D-dimer levels. In contrast, the effect of HA could limit the benefits of LDH, CRP, and fibrinogen in various clinical assessments. This study suggests that HA treatment could be beneficial even if selected as a salvage therapy.

The effectiveness of nano-curcumin on patients with COVID-19: A systematic review of clinical trials.

The main aim of the current study was to summarize the findings of available clinical studies to assess nano-curcumin's influence on COVID patients. A comprehensive online search was performed in Scopus, PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Google Scholar until March 2022 to identify trials that investigated the effects of nano-curcumin in patients with COVID-19. Eight studies comprising 569 patients were included in this review. Compared with placebo, nano-curcumin had no significant effect on C-reactive protein (CRP) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). However, gene expression of IL-6 and gene expression as well as secretion of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß) significantly decreased following nano-curcumin intervention. Nano-curcumin had beneficial effects on fever, cough, chills, myalgia, and olfactory and taste disturbances. The duration of hospitalization and mortality rate were significantly lower in the nano-curcumin group compared with the control group. Lymphocyte count was significantly increased after curcumin supplementation. Nano-curcumin also had favorable effects on O2 saturation, sputum, chest pain, wheeze, and dyspnea in patients with COVID-19. No major adverse effects were reported in response to nano-curcumin supplementation. In summary, the results of this systematic review of clinical trials suggested that nano-curcumin supplementation has beneficial effects on inflammation, respiratory function, disease manifestations, and complications in patients with COVID-19 viral infection.

Hematological Parameters and Procalcitonin as Discriminants between Bacterial Pneumonia-Induced Sepsis and Viral Sepsis Secondary to COVID-19: A Retrospective Single-Center Analysis.

Bacterial and viral sepsis induce alterations of all hematological parameters and procalcitonin is used as a biomarker of infection and disease severity. Our aim was to study the hematological patterns associated with pulmonary sepsis triggered by bacteria and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-type-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and to identify the discriminants between them. We performed a retrospective, observational study including 124 patients with bacterial sepsis and 138 patients with viral sepsis. Discriminative ability of hematological parameters and procalcitonin between sepsis types was tested using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Sensitivity (Sn%), specificity (Sp%), positive and negative likelihood ratios were calculated for the identified cut-off values. Patients with bacterial sepsis were older than patients with viral sepsis (p < 0.001), with no differences regarding gender. Subsequently to ROC analysis, procalcitonin had excellent discriminative ability for bacterial sepsis diagnosis with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.92 (cut-off value of >1.49 ng/mL; Sn = 76.6%, Sp = 94.2%), followed by RDW% with an AUC = 0.87 (cut-off value >14.8%; Sn = 80.7%, Sp = 85.5%). Leukocytes, monocytes and neutrophils had good discriminative ability with AUCs between 0.76-0.78 (p < 0.001), while other hematological parameters had fair or no discriminative ability. Lastly, procalcitonin value was strongly correlated with disease severity in both types of sepsis (p < 0.001). Procalcitonin and RDW% had the best discriminative ability between bacterial and viral sepsis, followed by leukocytes, monocytes and neutrophils. Procalcitonin is a marker of disease severity regardless of sepsis type.

Correlation of olfactory dysfunction with lung involvement and severity of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Olfactory dysfunction (OD) is a significant symptom of COVID-19 and may be the earliest symptom, or it may sometimes be the only manifestation of the disease. AIMS: To investigate whether OD is correlated with chest computed tomography (CT) findings, blood test parameters, and disease severity in COVID-19 patients. METHODS: The files of COVID-19 patients were retrospectively reviewed, and the ones who had information about smelling status and CT were taken into consideration. A total of 180 patients were divided into two groups: the OD group consisted of 89 patients with self-reported OD, and the No-OD group consisted of 91 subjects who did not complain of OD. The two groups were compared for the amount of lung consolidation on CT, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and blood test parameters (complete blood count, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), ferritin, D-dimer, interleukin-6 (IL-6)). RESULTS: The amount of lung consolidation and ICU admission were significantly higher in the No-OD group (p < 0.001 for both). White blood cell (p = 0.06), monocyte (p = 0.26), and platelet (p = 0.13) counts and hemoglobin (p = 0.63), ALT (p = 0.89), and D-dimer (p = 0.45) levels of the two groups were similar. Lymphocyte count (p = 0.01), neutrophil count (p = 0.01), and AST (p = 0.03), CK (p = 0.01), LDH (p < 0.001), CRP (p < 0.001), ESR (p < 0.001), ferritin (p < 0.001), and IL-6 (p < 0.001) levels were significantly higher in the No-OD group. CONCLUSIONS: The patients presenting to the hospital with self-reported OD may have less lung involvement and a milder disease course compared to patients without OD on admission.