A-022 Muscle and Cardiac Marker Levels Impact for SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Abstract

Abstract Background To diagnose cardiac problems, biomarkers such as CK-MB and troponin are effective tools. COVID-19 negatively affects the cardiovascular and muscular systems, potentially causing heart failure and arrhythmias. In addition, COVID-19 can also lead to muscle wasting and muscle weakness and the correlation between CK levels and muscle injury in SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis is not well studied. Our aim is to study the relationship between serum levels of muscle and cardiac injury markers on the same day as SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. Methods Study population and characteristics: This study enrolled an 11-month retrospective analysis from a large laboratory database in the city of São Paulo, Brazil from January 2022 to November 2022, from a specific patient population. Individuals aged 18 or older with available records for markers such as creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), and troponin were selected, including only outpatient results. All individuals in this group, suspected of having COVID-19, underwent SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis by RT-PCR at physician’s request. Statistical analysis: The Mann–Whitney U-test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for statistical analysis. Results with P < 0.05 were considered significant. Results A total of 1109 samples collected through nasopharyngeal swabs from individuals with or without SARS-CoV-2 infection were analyzed, upon medical request for PCR molecular diagnosis. There were 555 (50.04%) men and 554 (49.96%) women evaluated with a mean age of 60.1 ± 0.54 SEM. Of these, 312 (28.1%) were positive for the virus and 797 (71.9%) were negative. No differences in cardiac markers were observed between the two groups (SARS-CoV-2 positive group compared to non-infected individuals). Significant differences regarding the reduction of CK levels were mainly observed in men compared to women positive for SARS-CoV-2 (P < 0.05). Finally, no differences in CK serum levels were observed when the SARS-CoV-2 group was analyzed by age stratification data for the 31–40, 41–50, 51–60, or 61–90-years old groups. Conclusion Identifying a specific group’s fingerprint of injury biomarkers, such as creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), and troponin, at the same time point when individuals are laboratory-confirmed positive for SARS-CoV-2, could be valuable for risk management strategies. We recognize the significance of evaluating these biomarkers in populations infected with SARS-CoV-2 and acknowledge the need for follow-up studies.