Association of Lipid Profile and Inflammatory Markers With COVID-19 Severity and Outcome

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease that has already affected millions of people worldwide. Proinflammatory cytokines in COVID-19 infection change lipid metabolism and profile. This study investigates the association between lipid profile and inflammatory markers with the severity and outcome of COVID-19 patients referred to a teaching hospital in Mazandaran Province, Iran, during April-May and July-August 2020. Methods: This study was conducted on 140 patients with COVID-19 based on their clinical symptoms, imaging results, and laboratory findings. Patients were categorized as severe and non-severe groups based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Blood samples (5-7 mL) were collected from patients after 12 hours of fasting. Serum triglycerides, cholesterol, highdensity lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were measured using Pars Azmoon Kits (Hitachi Ltd). Results: Of 140 COVID-19 patients, 33.57% had severe and 66.43% had non-severe disease. Patients with severe disease had a significantly lower mean LDL serum level than those with non-severe involvement (56.39±3.62 vs 70.10±3.74 mg/dL) (P=0.023). Patients in the intensive care units had significantly lower HDL, LDL, and cholesterol serum levels than those hospitalized in other parts (P=0.006, P=0.002, and P=0.002, respectively). There was a significant negative correlation between HDL serum level and C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (P=0.0001 and r=-0.482) and (P=0.01 and r=-0.258), respectively. Additionally, there was a significant correlation between cholesterol level and CRP, triglycerides, and ESR (P=0.016 and P=0.02, respectively). Conclusion: The present study highlights the potential of lipid profiling as a cost-effective and accessible marker to assess COVID-19 severity and prognosis.