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. 2020 Jul;11(7):e00215.
doi: 10.14309/ctg.0000000000000215.

Marked Elevation of Lipase in COVID-19 Disease: A Cohort Study

Usman Barlass  1 , Brett Wiliams  2 , Klodian Dhana  3   4 , Darbaz Adnan  1 , Shahab R Khan  1 , Mahboobeh Mahdavinia  5 , Faraz Bishehsari  1
Affiliations

Marked Elevation of Lipase in COVID-19 Disease: A Cohort Study

Usman Barlass et al. Clin Transl Gastroenterol. 2020 Jul.

Abstract

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global health crisis. Possible pancreatic involvement has recently been observed in these patients; however, its significance is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of significantly elevated lipase with disease outcomes.

Methods: Data about demographics, symptoms, laboratory values, and clinical outcomes were collected for 1,003 consecutive patients testing positive for COVID-19. Elevated lipase was defined as greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal (>3 × ULN). Baseline characteristics among patients with or without elevated lipase were compared using Fisher exact test or Student t-test for categorical or numerical variables, respectively. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of lipase levels with primary clinical outcomes (intensive care unit admission and intubation) adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, history of diabetes, and hypertension.

Results: Of 1,003 patients with COVID-19, 83 had available lipase levels and were all admitted to the hospital. Of 83, 14 (16.8%) had elevated lipase (>3 × ULN), which was associated with higher rates of leukocytosis (P < 0.001) and abnormal liver enzymes (P < 0.01). Compared with lower lipase levels (<3 × ULN), patients with elevated lipase had higher rates of ICU admission (92.9% vs 32.8%; P < 0.001) and intubation (78.6% vs 23.5%; P 0.002). In a multivariable-adjusted model, higher lipase levels were significantly associated with admission to the ICU and rate of intubation.

Discussion: Lipase elevation is seen in COVID-19 and is associated with worse disease outcomes.

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Conflict of interest statement

Guarantor of the article: Faraz Bishehsari, MD, PhD.

Specific author contributions: Study concept and design (B.W. and F.B.), acquisition of data (D.A., S.R.K., B.W., M.M., and F.B.), analysis and interpretation of data (U.B., K.D., and F.B.); drafting of the manuscript (B.W., U.B., and F.B.), and critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content (M.M. and F.B.).

Financial support: National Institutes of Health grant AA025387, Brinson foundation and a Rush Translational Sciences Consortium/Swim Across America Organization grant (F.B.), and KL2TR002387-02 (M.M.).

Potential competing interests: None to report.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Odds ratio (with 95% confidence intervals) of rates of ICU admission and intubation based on the lipase levels divided in tertiles (first tertile–lipase level; 5–31 U/L, second tertile; 31–75 U/L, third tertile; 81–701 U/L). ICU, intensive care unit.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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