Features of Inflammatory Syndrome in Patients with COVID-19-Associated Pneumonia and Concomitant Chronic Coronary Syndrome

Abstract

Introduction. The COVID-19 coronavirus disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has become an unprecedented challenge for the healthcare system and has taken a leading position among infectious diseases due to its rapid spread and development of complications in various body systems. COVID-19 has been shown to increase the long-term risk of both ischemic and nonischemic cardiovascular diseases. This underscores the need for primary prevention through measures such as vaccination and a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology linking COVID-19 to endothelial dysfunction and systemic inflammation. Patients hospitalized for coronavirus disease often have concomitant cardiometabolic disease. Cardiovascular complications are common in these patients, emphasizing the need for ongoing research to better understand these effects. The role of integral inflammatory indices in patients with coronavirus disease in the setting of chronic coronary syndromes (CCS) is unexplored.
 Aim. To identify the features of the course of chronic coronary syndromes in patients with pneumonia caused by coronavirus infection COVID-19, as well as to assess the relationship between the level of inflammatory indices and the severity of the disease.
 Materials and methods. 124 patients with COVID-19 were enrolled upon admission to the cardiology department of the Central City Clinical Hospital in Ivano-Frankivsk, the therapeutic department of the Kolomyia Central District Hospital and the therapeutic department of the Verkhovyna Hospital, 124 patients with COVID-19-associated pneumonia were selected, including 92 patients with a history of chronic coronary syndromes (CCS), including 49 patients with a history of acute myocardial infarction, 43 patients with stable angina pectoris and 32 patients without a history of CCS.
 Results of the study. The mean age of the examined patients was (66,2±7,8) years in the CCS group and (59,9±8,9) years in the non-CCS group.Among the patients with severe course, there were 36 patients (39,1%) in the CCS group and 10 patients (31,2%) in the non-CCS group. In the CCS group, 4 patients (4,3%) died, and in the non-CCS group, 2 patients (6,2%) died. The BMI in patients with CCS was (28,3 [26,2; 30,9]) kg/m2, in the group without CCS (26,66±3,59) kg/m2 and was higher in the CCS group (p=0,03). The mean number of days from the onset of symptoms to hospitalization in the CCS group was (7 [5;7] days, in the non-CCS group (7 [5;7] days). There was significant difference in the levels of inflammatory indices in the study groups after treatment, lower levels of SIRI 1,12 [0,58; 1,98] vs. 1,71 [0,74; 3,98] (p=0,04), NLR 4,22 [2,79; 5,40] vs. 5,3 [3,8; 9,56] (p=0,03), SII 936,75 [571,30; 1263,16] vs. 1198,75 [784,0; 2627,78] (p=0,008), PLR 154,75 [115,27; 208,09] vs. [124,23; 307,83] (p=0,04), AISI 253,61 [96,18; 437,47] vs.345,28 [229,48; 1040,13] (p=0,01). In the CCS group, a significant increase in the level of the LMR index (p=0,01) and a decrease in the level of CRP/L (p<0,0001) were observed after treatment. According to the results of the ROC analysis, there is a significant prognostic value of the CRP/L marker for mortality in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and concomitant CVD (AUC = 0,901; 95% CI 0,820 – 0,953; p<0,0001) during hospitalization. The markers NMR, SIRI, NLR, SII, PLR, AISI, dNLR, CRP/L had a significant prognostic value for mortality when observed in the dynamics.
 Conclusions. Increased levels of inflammatory indices showed a significant value in predicting hospital mortality from COVID-19 with concomitant CCS in the dynamics but had no prognostic value during hospitalization. Patients who were discharged with recovery or improvement had lower levels of inflammatory indices in the presence of concomitant CCS in the anamnesis.