Comparative analysis of inflammatory profiles between COVID-19 patients and healthy controls and its correlation with disease severity

Several reports have highlighted the significant role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19). The hyper-inflammatory response triggered by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections is believed to contribute to disease severity and adverse clinical outcomes. Consequently, classical inflammatory markers have been proposed as potential indicators of COVID-19 severity. However, there is still a critical need for extensive analysis of the predictive value of inflammatory biomarkers in large cohorts of patients. The main objective of this study was to evaluate Plasma inflammatory Levels in COVID-19 Patients and Healthy Controls and its association with COVID-19 severity levels.
This study employed cross-sectional and case-control study designs. The study population comprised of SARS-CoV-2 positive patients at Ndola Teaching Hospital (NTH) and Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital (LMUTH). The laboratory tests involved the assessment of inflammatory profiles in COVID-19 patients compared to control subjects. Furthermore, the study investigated the use of inflammatory profiles in classifying COVID-19 severity in relation to WHO guidelines. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 21.
Our study observed elevated plasma levels of inflammatory profiles such as CRP, Ferritin, procalcitonin, Neutrophils, Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Erythrocyte Sedimentation Ratio (ESR) and inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6,IL-8 and Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF) in COVID-19 patients compared to the control group. In contrast the mean Lymphocyte count in Covid-19 patients was significantly lower than the control subjects. Additionally, COVID-19 patients exhibited a higher prevalence of hyperinflammation compared to control participants. The study also found that the frequency of hyperinflammation increased with COVID-19 severity. Furthermore, statistically significant differences in mean haemostatic plasma concentration were observed in relation to different levels COVID-19 disease severity.
Inflammatory profile results indicate that COVID-19 patients were more prone to hyper inflammatory state than the Sars-CoV-2 negative individuals and these parameters were observed to correlate with COVID-19 severity levels. The study provides valuable insights into the inflammatory mechanisms of COVID-19 and identifies potential biomarkers for hyperinflammation. Clinicians can utilize this information to identify patients with a poor prognosis and assess disease severity, enabling early intervention.