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. 2022 May;14(5):1478-1487.
doi: 10.21037/jtd-22-345.

Comparison of laboratory parameters in mild vs. severe cases and died vs. survived patients with COVID-19: systematic review and meta-analysis

Budao Cao #  1 , Xuefen Jing #  1 , Yan Liu  1   2 , Rong Wen  1 , Cuifeng Wang  1
Affiliations

Comparison of laboratory parameters in mild vs. severe cases and died vs. survived patients with COVID-19: systematic review and meta-analysis

Budao Cao et al. J Thorac Dis. 2022 May.

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to summarize the available data on the association between the severity of (COVID-19) and routine blood indicators, inflammatory, biochemical parameters and coagulation parameter.

Methods: A literature search was conducted of PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Sciences, CNKI, WanFang database providing relevant data. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool effect sizes.

Results: In patients with severe symptoms, interleukin-6, [IL-6; standardized mean difference (SMD) =1.15, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.01, 1.29, P<0.001, n=1,121], interleukin-10 (IL-10; SMD =0.92, 95% CI: 0.75, 1.08, P<0.001, n=782), interleukin-4 (IL-4; SMD =0.2, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.39, P=0.04, n=500), procalcitonin (PCT; SMD =1.16, 95% CI: 0.99, 1.33, P<0.001, n=734), C-reactive protein (CRP; SMD =1.42, 95% CI: 1.27, 1.57, P<0.001, n=1,286), serum amyloid A (SAA; SMD =2.82, 95% CI: 2.53, 3.11, P<0.001, n=502) neutrophil count (SMD =0.63, 95% CI: 0.44, 0.82, P<0.001, n=558), alanine aminotransferase (ALT; SMD =2.72, 95% CI: 2.43, 3.02, P<0.001, n=538), aspartate aminotransferase (AST; SMD =2.75, 95% CI: 2.37, 3.12, P<0.001, n=313), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; SMD =4.01, 95% CI: 3.79, 4.24, P<0.001, n=1,055), creatine kinase (CK; SMD =2.62, 95% CI: 2.2, 3.03, P<0.001, n=230;), CK-MB isoenzyme (CK-MB; SMD =3.07, 95% CI: 2.81, 3.34, P<0.001, n=600, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT; SMD =0.63, 95% CI: 0.39, 0.87, P<0.001, n=351), and prothrombin time (P-T; SMD =1.83, 95% CI: 1.55, 2.11, P<0.001, n=351) were significantly higher than in patients with mild symptoms. On the contrary, lymphocyte count (SMD =-1.04, 95% CI: -1.21, -0.86, P<0.001, n=805) platelets (SMD =-1.47, 95% CI: -1.7, -1.24, P<0.001, n=653), monocyte count (SMD =-0.56, 95% CI: -0.8, -0.32, P<0.001, n=403), and albumin (SMD =-2.95, 95% CI: -3.21, -2.7, P<0.001, n=637) was significantly lower in patients with severe symptoms than in patients with mild symptoms. IL-6 (SMD =2.62, 95% CI: 2.15, 3.09, P<0.001, n=185), PCT (SMD =0.2, 95% CI: 0.16, 0.23, P<0.001, n=156), creatinine (SMD =2.29, 95% CI: 1.87, 2.7, P<0.001, n=213), and neutrophil counts (SMD =2.77, 95% CI: 2.38, 3.16, P<0.001, n=260) in patients with COVID-19 in the death group were significantly higher than that in patients in the survival group, while the lymphocyte count was significantly lower.

Conclusions: In summary, current evidence show that those laboratory indicators are associated with the severity of COVID-19 and thus could be used as prognostic risk stratification of patients with COVID-19.

Keywords: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); laboratory biomarker; meta-analysis; prognosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://jtd.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/jtd-22-345/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Inclusion and exclusion summary of literature.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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