Serum levels of interleukin – 6, ferritin, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, D-dimer and count of lymphocytes and neutrophils in COVID-19 patients. Its correlation to the disease severity.

Abstract

Since its first emergence in Wuhan city, China, SARS CoV2, which is responsible for the pandemic COVID-19, has become a significant health problem all over the world affecting over 2.1 million people globally. The current study aimed to investigate serum levels of IL-6, ferritin, CRP, LDH, D-dimer as well as lymphocytes and neutrophils count in COVID-19 patients, and to clarify the correlation of these parameters with disease severity and progression. For these purposes, (100) patients with COVID-19 (confirmed by PCR) and (20) apparently healthy people (with matched age and sex) were included in the current study and considered as a control group. All study population (patients and control) were subjected to the evaluation of serum levels of IL-6, ferritin, CRP, LDH, D-dimer, as well as lymphocytes and neutrophils, count. COVID-19 patients showed a significant elevation in the levels of all parameters included in this study when compared with healthy subjects. We also found that all of IL-6, ferritin, CRP, LDH, D-dimer are significantly associated with the severity of the COVID-19 symptoms. lymphopenia and increased neutrophils were also effectively correlated with disease progression. In line with these results, we concluded a proportional correlation between the aforementioned parameters and COVID-19 suggesting the uses of these tests to the diagnosis of critical cases.