Abstract
Background and Aims: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a proinflammatory state that causes elevation of multiple serum variables. It has been observed that some biochemical alterations in patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can be prognostic markers of severity and mortality. This study aims to compare different serum biomarkers to determine whether their alteration is associated with mortality due to COVID-19.
Methods: A case-control clinical study was carried out including patients with COVID-19 which were divided into two groups: with clinical improvement and those who died. Sociodemographic, clinical and serum variables (blood count, blood chemistry, lipid profile, markers of acute inflammation and troponin I) were studied. The serum variables were analyzed using the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, the Odds Ratio (OR) value was analyzed and the predictive value of each one was evaluated using the area under the curve.
Results: Of the 285 patients included, 161 showed clinical improvement and 124 died. It was established that lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) has the best predictive value for mortality, followed by troponin I and IL-6.
Conclusions: Elevated LDH upon hospital admission was found to have the best predictive value for mortality, followed by troponin I and interleukin 6 (IL-6). It was determined that the serum variables with the best prognostic value for severity and mortality are associated with cardiovascular damage, so we infer that if the SARS-CoV-2 virus considerably affects the heart, patients have a higher risk of death during their hospital stay.