Plasma CRP level is positively associated with the severity of COVID-19

Plasma CRP level is positively associated with the severity of COVID-19

Wei Chen, Zhihan Yan, Kenneth I. Zheng, Saiduo Liu, Chongyong Xu, Zengpei Qiao

Abstract Aims The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized as highly contagious and deadly; however there is no credible and convenient biomarker to predict the severity of the disease. The aim of the present study was to estimate whether the CRP level is able to act as a marker in indicating the severity of COVID-19. Methods Patients who complained cough or chest pain with or without fever were enrolled after laboratory confirmed of SARS-CoV-2 viral nucleic acid via qRT-PCR. Chest computed tomography (CT) was then performed to classify the patients into mild, moderate and severe pneumonia groups according to the interim management guideline. Then linear regression models were applied to analyze the association between c-reactive protein (CRP) levels and severity of COVID-19 pneumonia. Results When compared to mild pneumonia, the adjusted-Odds Ratio were 11.46, p = 0.029 and 23.40, p = 0.025 in moderate and severe pneumonia, respectively. The area under receiver operation curve was 0.898 (95% CI 0.835, 0.962, p 

2020

Pneumonia, CRP, CT, Severity, SARS-CoV-2

DOI: 10.1186/s12941-020-00362-2

Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials

BMC

Infectious and parasitic diseases, Therapeutics. Pharmacology, Microbiology