scholarly journals Gut microbiota diversity and C-Reactive Protein are predictors of disease severity in COVID-19 patients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Moreira-Rosário ◽  
Cláudia Marques ◽  
Hélder Pinheiro ◽  
João Ricardo Araújo ◽  
Pedro Ribeiro ◽  
...  

AbstractRisk factors for COVID-19 disease severity are still poorly understood. Considering the pivotal role of gut microbiota on host immune and inflammatory functions, we investigated the association between changes in gut microbiota composition and the clinical severity of COVID-19. We conducted a multicentre cross-sectional study prospectively enrolling 115 COVID-19 patients categorized according to: 1) WHO Clinical Progression Scale - mild 19 (16.5%), moderate 37 (32.2%) or severe 59 (51.3%); and 2) location of recovery from COVID-19 - ambulatory 14 (household isolation; 12.2%), hospitalized in ward 40 (34.8%) or intensive care unit 61 (53.0%). Gut microbiota analysis was performed through 16S rRNA gene sequencing and data obtained was further related with clinical parameters of COVID-19 patients. Risk factors for COVID-19 severity were identified by univariate and multivariable logistic regression models.In comparison with mild COVID-19 patients, the gut microbiota of moderate and severe patients has: a) lower Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, b) higher abundance of Proteobacteria; and c) lower abundance of beneficial butyrate-producing bacteria such as Roseburia and Lachnospira genera. Multivariable regression analysis showed that Shannon index diversity (odds ratio [OR] 2.85 [95% CI 1.09-7.41]; p=0.032) and C-Reactive Protein (OR 3.45 [95% CI 1.33-8.91]; p=0.011) were risk factors for COVID-19 severe disease (a score of 6 or higher in WHO clinical progression scale).In conclusion, our results demonstrated that hospitalised moderate and severe COVID-19 patients have microbial signatures of gut dysbiosis and for the first time, the gut microbiota diversity is pointed out as a prognostic biomarker for COVID-19 disease severity.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Moreira-Rosário ◽  
Cláudia Marques ◽  
Hélder Pinheiro ◽  
João Ricardo Araújo ◽  
Pedro Ribeiro ◽  
...  

The risk factors for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity are still poorly understood. Considering the pivotal role of the gut microbiota on host immune and inflammatory functions, we investigated the association between changes in the gut microbiota composition and the clinical severity of COVID-19. We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional study prospectively enrolling 115 COVID-19 patients categorized according to: (1) the WHO Clinical Progression Scale—mild, 19 (16.5%); moderate, 37 (32.2%); or severe, 59 (51.3%), and (2) the location of recovery from COVID-19—ambulatory, 14 (household isolation, 12.2%); hospitalized in ward, 40 (34.8%); or hospitalized in the intensive care unit, 61 (53.0%). Gut microbiota analysis was performed through 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and the data obtained were further related to the clinical parameters of COVID-19 patients. The risk factors for COVID-19 severity were identified by univariate and multivariable logistic regression models. In comparison to mild COVID-19 patients, the gut microbiota of moderate and severe patients have: (a) lower Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio; (b) higher abundance of Proteobacteria; and (c) lower abundance of beneficial butyrate-producing bacteria such as the genera Roseburia and Lachnospira. Multivariable regression analysis showed that the Shannon diversity index [odds ratio (OR) = 2.85, 95% CI = 1.09–7.41, p = 0.032) and C-reactive protein (OR = 3.45, 95% CI = 1.33–8.91, p = 0.011) are risk factors for severe COVID-19 (a score of 6 or higher in the WHO Clinical Progression Scale). In conclusion, our results demonstrated that hospitalized patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 have microbial signatures of gut dysbiosis; for the first time, the gut microbiota diversity is pointed out as a prognostic biomarker of COVID-19 severity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 2077
Author(s):  
Yi-Min Huang ◽  
Chiao Lo ◽  
Chiao-Feng Cheng ◽  
Cheng-Hsun Lu ◽  
Song-Chou Hsieh ◽  
...  

Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is a rare inflammatory breast disease mimicking breast cancer. Limited research has been conducted on the application of serum biomarkers. This study aims to investigate the association of serum biomarkers with disease severity in patients with IGM. From November 2011 to March 2020, medical records of patients with IGM were reviewed. Serum cytokine levels were measured in patients and healthy controls between July 2018 and March 2020. A total of 41 patients with histologically proven IGM were found. Serum interleukin (IL)-6 level was significantly higher in patients with IGM (n = 11) than healthy controls (n = 7). Serum IL-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were significantly higher in patients with severe disease than mild and moderate disease. Serum IL-6 (Spearman’s ρ = 0.855; p < 0.001) and CRP (Spearman’s ρ = 0.838; p = 0.001) levels were associated with time to resolution. A higher serum CRP level was associated with a longer time to resolution (B = 0.322; p < 0.001) in multiple linear regression analysis. Serum IL-6 and CRP levels can be used as biomarkers for the evaluation of disease severity in IGM. IL-6 may play a crucial role in the immunopathology of IGM.


Author(s):  
Robert A Fletcher ◽  
Thomas Matcham ◽  
Marta Tibúrcio ◽  
Arseni Anisimovich ◽  
Stojan Jovanović ◽  
...  

Background: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak presents a significant threat to global health. A better understanding of patient clinical profiles is essential to drive efficient and timely health service strategies. In this study, we aimed to identify risk factors for a higher susceptibility to symptomatic presentation with COVID-19 and a transition to severe disease. Methods: We analysed data on 2756 patients admitted to Chelsea & Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust between 1st January and 23rd April 2020. We compared differences in characteristics between patients designated positive for COVID-19 and patients designated negative on hospitalisation and derived a multivariable logistic regression model to identify risk factors for predicting risk of symptomatic COVID-19. For patients with COVID-19, we used univariable and multivariable logistic regression to identify risk factors associated with progression to severe disease defined by: 1) admission to the hospital AICU, 2) the need for mechanical ventilation, 3) in-hospital mortality, and 4) at least one measurement of elevated D-dimer (equal or superior to 1,000 ug/L) indicative of increased risk of venous thromboembolism. Results: The patient population consisted of 1148 COVID-19 positive and 1608 COVID-19 negative patients. Age, sex, self-reported ethnicity, C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, respiratory rate, body temperature, and systolic blood pressure formed the most parsimonious model for predicting risk of symptomatic COVID-19 at hospital admission. Among 1148 patients with COVID-19, 116 (10.1%) were admitted to the AICU, 71 (6.2%) required mechanical ventilation, 368 (32.1%) had at least one record of D-dimer levels ≥1,000 μg/L, and 118 patients died. In the multivariable logistic regression, age (OR = 0.953 per 1 year, 95% CI: 0.937-0.968) C-reactive protein (OR = 1.004 per 1 mg/L, 95% CI: 1.002-1.007), and white blood cell counts (OR = 1.059 per 109/L, 95% CI: 1.010-1.111) were found to be associated with admission to the AICU. Age (OR = 0.973 per 1 year, 95% CI: 0.955-0.990), C-reactive protein (OR = 1.003 per 1 mg/L, 95% CI: 1.000-1.006) and sodium (OR = 0.915 per 1 mmol/L, 0.868-0.962) were associated with mechanical ventilation. Age (OR = 1.023 per 1 year, 95% CI: 1.004-1.043), CRP (OR = 1.004 per 1 mg/L, 95% CI: 1.002-1.006), and body temperature (OR = 0.723 per 1oC, 95% CI: 0.541-0.958) were associated with elevated D-dimer. For mortality, we observed associations with age (OR = 1.060 per 1 year, 95% CI: 1.040-1.082), female sex (OR = 0.442, 95% CI: 0.442, 95% CI: 0.245-0.777), Asian ethnic background (OR = 2.237 vs White ethnic background, 95% CI: 1.111-4.510), C-reactive protein (OR = 1.004 per 1 mg/L, 95% CI: 1.001-1.006), sodium (OR = 1.038 per 1 mmol/L, 95% CI: 1.001-1.006), and respiratory rate (OR = 1.054 per 1 breath/min, 95% CI: 1.024-1.087). Conclusion: Our analysis suggests there are several demographic, clinical and laboratory findings associated with a symptomatic presentation of COVID-19. Moreover, significant associations between patient deterioration were found with age, sex and specific blood markers, chiefly C-reactive protein, and could help early identification of patients at risk of poorer prognosis. Further work is required to clarify the extent to which our observations are relevant beyond current settings.


Author(s):  
Todd A Florin ◽  
Lilliam Ambroggio ◽  
Cole Brokamp ◽  
Yin Zhang ◽  
Eric S Nylen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Proadrenomedullin (proADM), a vasodilatory peptide with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, predicts severe outcomes in adults with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) to a greater degree than C-reactive protein and procalcitonin. We evaluated the ability of proADM to predict disease severity across a range of clinical outcomes in children with suspected CAP. Methods We performed a prospective cohort study of children 3 months to 18 years with CAP in the emergency department (ED). Disease severity was defined as: mild (discharged home), mild-moderate (hospitalized but not moderate-severe or severe), moderate-severe (e.g., hospitalized with supplemental oxygen, broadening of antibiotics, complicated pneumonia), and severe (e.g., vasoactive infusions, chest drainage, severe sepsis). Outcomes were examined using proportional odds logistic regression within the cohort with suspected CAP and in a subset with radiographic CAP. Results Among 369 children, median proADM increased with disease severity [mild: median 0.53 nmol/L (IQR:0.43, 0.73), mild-moderate: 0.56 nmol/L (IQR:0.45, 0.71), moderate-severe: 0.61 nmol/L (IQR:0.47, 0.77), severe: 0.70 nmol/L (IQR:0.55, 1.04) (p=.002)]. ProADM was significantly associated with increased odds of developing severe outcomes (suspected CAP odds ratio (OR) 1.68 [95% CI, 1.2, 2.36], radiographic CAP OR 2.11 [95% CI, 1.36, 3.38]) adjusted for age, fever duration, antibiotic use, and pathogen. ProADM had an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.64 (95%CI, 0.56,0.72) in those with suspected CAP and AUC 0.77 (95% CI, 0.68,0.87) in radiographic CAP. Conclusions ProADM was associated with severe disease and discriminated moderately well children who developed severe disease from those who did not, particularly in radiographic CAP.


Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacobo de la Cuesta-Zuluaga ◽  
Noel Mueller ◽  
Rafael Álvarez-Quintero ◽  
Eliana Velásquez-Mejía ◽  
Jelver Sierra ◽  
...  

Fiber fermentation by gut microbiota yields short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that are either absorbed by the gut or excreted in feces. Studies are conflicting as to whether SCFAs are beneficial or detrimental to cardiometabolic health, and how gut microbiota associated with SCFAs is unclear. In this study of 441 community-dwelling adults, we examined associations of fecal SCFAs, gut microbiota diversity and composition, gut permeability, and cardiometabolic outcomes, including obesity and hypertension. We assessed fecal microbiota by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and SCFA concentrations by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Fecal SCFA concentrations were inversely associated with microbiota diversity, and 70 unique microbial taxa were differentially associated with at least one SCFA (acetate, butyrate or propionate). Higher SCFA concentrations were associated with a measure of gut permeability, markers of metabolic dysregulation, obesity and hypertension. Microbial diversity showed association with these outcomes in the opposite direction. Associations were significant after adjusting for measured confounders. In conclusion, higher SCFA excretion was associated with evidence of gut dysbiosis, gut permeability, excess adiposity, and cardiometabolic risk factors. Studies assessing both fecal and circulating SCFAs are needed to test the hypothesis that the association of higher fecal SCFAs with obesity and cardiometabolic dysregulation is due to less efficient SCFA absorption.


2020 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 60 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. Rod ◽  
Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios ◽  
Javier Cortes-Ramirez

The World Health Organization has emphasized that one of the most important questions to address regarding the covid-19 pandemic is to understand risk factors for disease severity. We conducted a brief review that synthesizes the available evidence and provides a judgment on the consistency of the association between risk factors and a composite end-point of severe-fatal covid-19. Additionally, we also conducted a comparability analysis of risk factors across 17 studies. We found evidence supporting a total of 60 predictors for disease severity, of which seven were deemed of high consistency, 40 of medium and 13 of low. Among the factors with high consistency of association, we found age, C-reactive protein, D-dimer, albumin, body temperature, SOFA score and diabetes. The results suggest that diabetes might be the most consistent comorbidity predicting disease severity and that future research should carefully consider the comparability of reporting cases, factors, and outcomes along the different stages of the natural history of covid-19.


Author(s):  
Kriti Jain ◽  
Arvind Krishna ◽  
B. S. Rathore

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> <span lang="EN-IN">For a complex chronic disease like psoriasis, having a biomarker to objectively assess the clinical severity can be very helpful in disease management.</span></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> <span lang="EN-IN">In a hospital based prospective study, 70 patients of psoriasis diagnosed clinically, were studied. The extent of disease severity was assessed using PASI and BSA and patients were grouped into having mild, moderate and severe disease using these scores. Serum high sensitivity </span>C-reactive protein <span lang="EN-IN">(hsCRP) levels were then estimated for each group</span>.<strong></strong></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> <span lang="EN-IN">Of the 70 psoriasis cases enrolled, 46 patients were male and 24 females. Patients with early onset psoriasis were associated with higher values of hsCRP than those with late onset (r=-0.063; p=0.012). A positive correlation was seen between the PASI score and hsCRP levels (r=0.891; p≤0.001). On comparing mean PASI and mean hsCRP in severity groups (mild, moderate and severe), hsCRP was higher in the group with maximum severity (p≤0.001). </span></p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> <span lang="EN-IN">A negative correlation between the age of onset and hsCRP implies that, earlier the age of onset, higher is the value of hsCRP. Our study shows a positive correlation between the body surface area and PASI score both of which varied linearly with hsCRP values. The findings also suggest that patients with severe psoriasis have higher mean serum hsCRP levels than patients with mild psoriasiss.</span><span lang="EN-IN">We proposed hsCRP as a useful marker of psoriasis severity that could be used to monitor psoriasis and, together with PASI, as a global index of disease severity.</span></p><p class="abstract"> </p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingchun Ou ◽  
Jieyun Zhu ◽  
Pan Ji ◽  
Hongyuan Li ◽  
Zhimei Zhong ◽  
...  

Abstract Our study aimed to systematically analyse the risk factors of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with severe disease. An electronic search in eight databases to identify studies describing severe or critically ill COVID-19 patients from 1 January 2020 to 3 April 2020. In the end, we meta-analysed 40 studies involving 5872 COVID-19 patients. The average age was higher in severe COVID-19 patients (weighted mean difference; WMD = 10.69, 95%CI 7.83–13.54). Patients with severe disease showed significantly lower platelet count (WMD = −18.63, 95%CI −30.86 to −6.40) and lymphocyte count (WMD = −0.35, 95%CI −0.41 to −0.30) but higher C-reactive protein (CRP; WMD = 42.7, 95%CI 31.12–54.28), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; WMD = 137.4, 95%CI 105.5–169.3), white blood cell count(WBC), procalcitonin(PCT), D-dimer, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and creatinine(Cr). Similarly, patients who died showed significantly higher WBC, D-dimer, ALT, AST and Cr but similar platelet count and LDH as patients who survived. These results indicate that older age, low platelet count, lymphopenia, elevated levels of LDH, ALT, AST, PCT, Cr and D-dimer are associated with severity of COVID-19 and thus could be used as early identification or even prediction of disease progression.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arox W. Kamng’ona ◽  
Rebecca Young ◽  
Charles D. Arnold ◽  
Emma Kortekangas ◽  
Noel Patson ◽  
...  

Abstract We tested the hypotheses that a more mature or diverse gut microbiota will be positively associated with infant growth and inversely associated with inflammation. We characterized gut microbiota from the stool samples of Malawian infants at 6 mo (n = 527), 12 mo (n = 632) and 18 mo (n = 629) of age. Microbiota diversity and maturity measurements were based on Shannon diversity index and microbiota for age Z-score (MAZ), respectively. Growth was calculated as change in Z-scores for weight-for-age (WAZ), length-for-age (LAZ) and head circumference-for-age (HCZ) from 6 to 12 mo and 12 to 18 mo. Biomarkers of inflammation (alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) and C-reactive protein (CRP)) were measured at 6 and 18 mo. Multivariable models were used to assess the association of each independent variable with each outcome. Microbiota diversity and maturity were related to growth in weight from 6 to 12 mo, but not to growth in length or head circumference or to growth from 12 to 18 mo. Microbiota diversity and maturity may also be linked to inflammation, but findings were inconsistent.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (18) ◽  
pp. 4061
Author(s):  
Alessandro Perrella ◽  
Mario Brita ◽  
Francesco Coletta ◽  
Simona Cotena ◽  
GiamPaola De Marco ◽  
...  

We hypothesized that the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in urine during a severe COVID-19 infection may be the expression of the worsening disease evolution. Therefore, the aim of this study was to verify if the COVID-19 disease severity is related to the viral presence in urine samples. We evaluated the clinical evolution in acute COVID-19 patients admitted in the sub-intensive care and intensive care units between 28 of December 2020 and 15th of February 2021 and being positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the respiratory tract, including repeated endotracheal aspirates (ETA), sputum, nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) and urine. We found that those subjects with SARS-COV-2 in the urine at admittance (8 out of 60 eligible patients) had a more severe disease than those with negative SARS-CoV-2 in urine. Further, they showed an increase in fibrinogen and (C-reactive Protein) CRP serum levels, requiring mechanic ventilation. Of those with positive SARS-CoV-2 in the urine, 50% died. According to our preliminary results, it seems that the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the urine characterizes patients with a more severe disease and is also related to a higher death rate.


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