The coronavirus disease 2019 was declared a global pandemic by WHO in February 2020 (Samprathi & Jayashree, 2021). The first sightings of the disease were in Wuhan city in China, where it was initially severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) (Kermali et al., 2020). Patients infected by the disease display symptoms of fever, cough, sneezing, myalgia, diarrhea, hemoptysis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and acute cardiac injury (Kermali et al., 2020). The disease is commonly transmitted through coughing or sneezing. Different biomarkers can help indicate the presence of COVID-19 and its severity. Researchers have conducted many studies to correlate the disease symptoms to significant biomarkers. Some of the biomarkers they identified and measured were C-creative proteins, white cell count, interleukin-6 (IL-6), D-dimer, lactate dehydrogenase, platelet count, cardiac troponin, renal markers, and serum amyloid.
C-creative protein (CRP) is produced in the liver and is a biomarker for inflammatory conditions (Kermali et al., 2020). An increase in the level of CRP indicates the presence of the disease, while higher levels indicate the severity of the disease in patients. The number of leucocytes showed a significant increase in patients in both non-severe and severe cases of COVID-19. However, more significant numbers were present with an increase in the severity of cases. IL-6 is a common cytokine released by macrophages as proinflammatory mediators (Kermali et al., 2020). High levels of IL-6 indicate severe COVID-19. Viral and lung infections trigger lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) secretion. Levels of D-dimer are usually elevated in patients with the disease and can predict mortality. LDH is used as a biomarker to indicate the severity of the disease.
Platelet count can indicate both presence and severity of COVID-19. However, signs of thrombocytopenia increased the risk of mortality in most patients (Samprathi & Jayashree, 2021). Elevated levels of cardiac troponin indicate the severity of the disease and mortality. Studies indicate high mortality rates among those with underlying cardiovascular disease or injury due to COVID-19 (Samprathi & Jayashree, 2021). Chronic kidney diseases also accompany severe cases of COVID-19. High levels of renal biomarkers like serum urea, creatinine, and glomerular filtration indicate the severity of the disease.
References
Kermali, M., Khalsa, R. K., Pillai, K., Ismail, Z., & Harky, A. (2020). The role of biomarkers in the diagnosis of COVID-19 – A systematic review. Life Sciences, 254, 117788. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2020.117788
Samprathi, M., & Jayashree, M. (2021). Biomarkers in COVID-19: An up-to-Date review. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2020.607647
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