Analysis of myocardial enzyme spectrum in 230 COVID-19 patients of Chongqing, China.
Abstract Background A novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 outbreak caused pandemic in China and worldwide. In addition to pneumonia, Cardiac failure is also a clinical outcome of coronavirus (COVID-19) patients and one of the leading causes for the death of COVID-19 patients. This study focused on a spectrum of cardiac enzymes to provide biomarkers for the severity of cardiomyopathy, and provide guidance of clinical treatment. Methods 230 coronavirus patients (182 mild and 48 severe cases) enrolled in Three Gorges Hospital of Chongqing University from January to March 2020 were analyzed for a spectrum of cardiac injury enzymes including α-hydroxybutyric dehydrogenase (αHBDH), lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), and creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB). Results The severe cases had significantly higher myocardial enzyme levels than mild cases, regardless of male and females. Males appeared to be more susceptible than females to COVID-19 induced heart injury, having higher CK and CK-MB in mild cases, and higher αHBDH and LDH levels in severe cases. Age is also a susceptible factor to COVID-19, but affected males were younger than females. Conclusions This study reveals that the heart is also a major target of COVID-19 infection, and myocardial enzyme spectrum assays could help the diagnosis, prognosis and guide the treatments to prevent heart failure in COVID-19 patients.