Correlating COVID-19 severity with biomarker profiles and patient prognosis

Abstract

COVID-19's long-lasting and complex impacts have become a global concern, with diverse clinical outcomes. This study evaluated 226 participants to understand the clinical spectrum of COVID-19/Long COVID (LC), exploring how disease severity correlates with sociodemographic factors and biomarkers. Determinants related to COVID-19 severity included age (P < 0.001), lower education (P < 0.001), ethnicity (P = 0.003), overweight (P < 0.001), MTHFR gene rs1801133 (P = 0.035), cardiovascular diseases (P = 0.002), diabetes mellitus (DM) (P = 0.006), Factor VIII (FVIII) (P = 0.046), von Willebrand factor (VWF) (P = 0.002), and dimer D (DD) (P < 0.001). Six months later, in a portion of the monitored participants, a significant reduction in FVIII (P < 0.001), VWF (P = 0.002), and DD (P < 0.001) levels was observed, with only DD returning to normal values. Different systemic sequelae were identified, with higher incidences of joint pain and myalgia in participants with a clinical history of DM, chronic lung disease (CLD) and sustained high interleukin 6 values in the convalescent phase. CLD, COVID-19 severity and high DD levels increased the risk of developing dyspnea and palpitations. Women were more likely to develop lower limb phlebitis long-term, while sustained elevated FVIII in the convalescent phase was associated with an increased risk of swelling. Regular physical activity had a protective effect against swelling. This study highlights factors contributing to COVID-19 severity/LC, emphasizing endothelial cell activation as a potential mechanism.