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. 2021 Sep 10;16(9):e0256931.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256931. eCollection 2021.

Elevated C-reactive protein in early COVID-19 predicts worse survival among hospitalized geriatric patients

Adeline Villoteau  1   2 , Marine Asfar  1   2 , Marie Otekpo  1   2 , Jocelyne Loison  2 , Jennifer Gautier  2 , Cédric Annweiler  1   2   3   4   5 ; GERIA-COVID study group
Affiliations

Elevated C-reactive protein in early COVID-19 predicts worse survival among hospitalized geriatric patients

Adeline Villoteau et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: The objective of this cohort study was to determine whether elevated CRP in early COVID-19 was associated with 14-day mortality in geriatric patients.

Methods: Plasma CRP levels at hospital admission and 14-day all-cause mortality were assessed in geriatric inpatients hospitalized for COVID-19. Potential confounders were age, sex, functional abilities, history of malignancies, hypertension, cardiomyopathy, albuminemia, number of acute health issues, use of antibiotics and respiratory treatments.

Results: Ninety-five participants (mean±SD 88.0±5.5years; 49.5%women; mean CRP, 76.7±77.5mg/L; mean albuminemia, 32.9±6.0g/L) were included. Sixteen participants who did not survive at day 14 exhibited higher CRP level at baseline than the others (120.3±71.2 versus 67.9±76.1 mg/L, P = 0.002). There was no difference in albuminemia (P = 0.329). Plasma CRP level was directly associated with 14-day mortality (fully adjusted HR = 1.11, P = 0.025). The cut-off for CRP associated with 14-day mortality was set at 35mg/L (sensitivity = 0.88; specificity = 0.56). Those with CRP<35mg/L had longer survival time than the others (log-rank P<0.001).

Conclusions: Elevated CRP levels were associated with poorer 14-day survival in hospitalized geriatric COVID-19 patients.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the cumulative probability of COVID-19 participants’ survival according to plasma CRP (n = 95).
Group 1: plasma CRP < 35 mg/L; Group 2: plasma CRP ≥ 35 mg/L.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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