scholarly journals Sex differences in a cohort of COVID-19 Italian patients hospitalized during the first and second pandemic waves.

Author(s):  
Virginia Quaresima ◽  
Cristina Scarpazza ◽  
Alessandra Sottini ◽  
Chiara Fiorini ◽  
Simona Signorini ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity seems to be influenced by genetic background, sex, age, and presence of specific comorbidities. So far, little attention has been paid to sex-specific variations of demographic, clinical and laboratory features of COVID-19 patients referred to the same hospital in the two consecutive pandemic waves.Methods: Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected in 1,000 COVID-19 patients (367 females and 633 males), 500 hospitalized in the first wave and 500 in the second one, at the ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia from March to December 2020. Statistical analyses have been employed to compare data obtained in females and males, taking into account their age, and during the first and second COVID-19 waves. Results: The mean age at the time of hospitalization was similar in females and males but was significantly higher for both in the second wave; the time elapsed from symptoms onset to hospital admission did not differ between sexes in the two waves and no correlation was observed between delayed hospital admission and length of hospitalization. The number of multi-symptomatic males was higher than that of females and patients with a higher number of comorbidities were more frequently admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) and more frequently died. Older males remained in ICU longer than females and showed a longer disease duration, mainly the first wave. The highest levels of white blood cells, neutrophils, C-reactive protein and fibrinogen were significantly higher in males and in the first, and along with higher levels of D-dimer, ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase and procalcitonin which were preferentially documented in patients requiring ICU or died. While the ICU death rate was higher in males, the overall death rate did not differ between the sexes; however, the deceased women were older.Conclusions: These data indicate that once patients were hospitalized, the risk of dying was similar between females and males. Therefore, future studies should aim at understanding the reasons why, for a given number of SARS-CoV-2 infection, less females develop the disease requiring hospitalization.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia Quaresima ◽  
Cristina Scarpazza ◽  
Alessandra Sottini ◽  
Chiara Fiorini ◽  
Simona Signorini ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity seems to be influenced by genetic background, sex, age, and presence of specific comorbidities. So far, little attention has been paid to sex-specific variations of demographic, clinical, and laboratory features of COVID-19 patients referred to the same hospital in the two consecutive pandemic waves. Methods Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected in 1000 COVID-19 patients (367 females and 633 males), 500 hospitalized in the first wave and 500 in the second one, at the ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia from March to December 2020. Statistical analyses have been employed to compare data obtained in females and males, taking into account their age, and during the first and second COVID-19 waves. Results The mean age at the time of hospitalization was similar in females and males but was significantly higher for both in the second wave; the time elapsed from symptom onset to hospital admission did not differ between sexes in the two waves, and no correlation was observed between delayed hospital admission and length of hospitalization. The number of multi-symptomatic males was higher than that of females, and patients with a higher number of comorbidities were more frequently admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) and more frequently died. Older males remained in the ICU longer than females and showed a longer disease duration, mainly the first wave. The highest levels of white blood cells, neutrophils, C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen were significantly higher in males and in the first, and along with higher levels of D-dimer, ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase, and procalcitonin which were preferentially documented in patients requiring ICU or died. While the rate of death in ICU was higher in males, the overall death rate did not differ between the sexes; however, the deceased women were older. Conclusions These data indicate that once patients were hospitalized, the risk of dying was similar between females and males. Therefore, future studies should aim at understanding the reasons why, for a given number of SARS-CoV-2 infections, fewer females develop the disease requiring hospitalization. Highlights Although the hospitalized males were significantly more, the similar number of hospitalizations of the > 75-year-old females and males could be due to the fact that in Brescia province, elderly women are about twice as many as men. Although males spent more days in the hospital, had a longer disease duration, developed a critical illness more frequently, and were admitted and died in the ICU more than females, the total rate of deaths among patients was not significantly different between sexes. Overall, the most frequent comorbidities were cardiovascular diseases, which were preferentially seen among patients hospitalized in the second wave; it is possible that the knowledge gained in the first wave concerning the association between certain comorbidities and worse disease evolution has guided the preferential hospitalization of patients with these predominant comorbidities.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Athina Nikolarakou ◽  
Dana Dumitriu ◽  
Pierre-Louis Docquier

Primary arthritis of chondrosternal joint is very rare and occurs in infants less than 18 months of age. Presentation is most often subacute but may be acute. Child presents with a parasternal mass with history of fever and/or local signs of infection. Clinical symptoms vary from a painless noninflammatory to a painful mass with local tenderness and swelling, while fever may be absent. Laboratory data show low or marginally raised levels of white blood cells and C-reactive protein, reflecting, respectively, the subacute or acute character of the infection. It is a self-limiting affection due to the adequate immune response of the patient. Evolution is generally good without antibiotherapy with a progressive spontaneous healing. A wait-and-see approach with close follow-up in the first weeks is the best therapeutic option.


2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 431-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gavrielle Kang ◽  
Mabel Q. H. Leow ◽  
Shian-Chao Tay

This study aims to identify differences in demographics, clinical and laboratory data between wrist septic arthritis and non-septic arthritis in patients admitted for wrist inflammation. A retrospective review of inpatients from May 2012 to April 2015 was conducted. Seventy-seven patients were included. Non-septic arthritis patients were more likely to have chronic kidney disease, pre-existing gout, or both. All septic arthritis patients had normal serum uric acid levels, and two or more raised inflammatory markers (white cell count, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate). In patients with isolated wrist inflammation, the mean C-reactive protein in the septic arthritis group was significantly higher compared with the non-septic arthritis group (mean difference 132 mg/L, 95% CI 30.9–234). In this study, polyarticular involvement did not exclude a septic cause; nor did it imply a non-septic aetiology. Diabetic or immunosuppressed patients were not more likely to develop septic arthritis. The presence of chondrocalcinosis on wrist radiographs was virtually diagnostic of non-septic arthritis. Level of evidence: IV


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Yu ◽  
Lei Nie ◽  
Xia Zhou ◽  
Dongde Wu ◽  
Jian Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Bacterial co-infection in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a critical factor that increases the complexity and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: We collected the clinical laboratory data of 1799 patients with confirmed COVID-19 who were admitted to Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan, China, between January 1 to April 26, 2020. The bacterial co-infection along with disease progression was analyzed. Other inflammatory markers, including C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cells (WBC), lymphocytes (L), neutrocytes (N), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and procalcitonin (PCT), were assessed to estimate the progression of COVID-19. Results: We found that 191 of the 1799 (10.62%) patients had bacterial co-infection. The most prevalent causative agents for bacterial co-infection were Klebsiella pneumoniae (91 cases, 5.06%) and Acinetobacter baumannii (66 cases, 3.67%). The most patients with bacterial co-infection showed extensive drug-resistance. The outcomes of patients with bacterial co-infection were worse than those of patients without bacterial co-infection.Conclusions: Secondary bacterial pneumonia during virus infection is a major risk factor for high mortality resulting from severe pneumonia caused by COVID-19.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0244628
Author(s):  
Julie Gorham ◽  
Anthony Moreau ◽  
Francis Corazza ◽  
Lorenzo Peluso ◽  
Fanny Ponthieux ◽  
...  

Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) appeared in China in December 2019 and has spread around the world. High Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in COVID-19 patients suggest that a cytokine storm may play a major role in the pathophysiology and are considered as a relevant parameter in predicting most severe course of disease. The aim of this study was to assess repeated IL-6 levels in critically ill COVID-19 patients admitted to our Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and to evaluate their relationship with patient’s severity and outcome. Methods We conducted a retrospective study on patients admitted to the ICU with a diagnosis of COVID-19 between March 10 (i.e. the date of the first admitted patients) and April 30, 2020. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected at admission. On the day of IL-6 blood concentration measurement, we also collected results of D-Dimers, C-Reactive Protein, white blood cells and lymphocytes count, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and ferritin as well as microbiological samples, whenever present. Results Of a total of 65 patients with COVID-19 admitted to our ICU we included 41 patients with repeated measure of IL-6. There was a significant difference in IL-6 levels between survivors and non-survivors over time (p = 0.001); moreover, non survivors had a significantly higher IL-6 maximal value when compared to survivors (720 [349–2116] vs. 336 [195–646] pg/mL, p = 0.01). The IL-6 maximal value had a significant predictive value of ICU mortality (AUROC 0.73 [95% CI 0.57–0.89]; p = 0.01). Conclusions Repeated measurements of IL-6 can help clinicians in identifying critically ill COVID-19 patients with the highest risk of poor prognosis.


BMC Surgery ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Ma ◽  
Peiqiang Jiang ◽  
Bai Ji ◽  
Yanqing Song ◽  
Yahui Liu

Abstract Background Clinically relevant pancreatic fistula (CRPF) is a serious complication following laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD). This study aimed to determine if C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) serum levels could be used as early biomarkers to predict CRPF after LPD. Methods In this retrospective study, we collected peri-operative data of patients who underwent LPD between January 2019 and November 2019. We compared serum levels of white blood cells (WBC), CRP, and PCT on post-operative days (POD) 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 between the CRPF and non-CRPF groups and analyzed the predictive risk factors for CRPF. Results Among the 186 patients included in this study, 18 patients (9.7%) developed CRPF, including 15 and 3 patients with grade B and C fistulas, respectively. The mean WBC, CRP, and PCT levels were higher on most PODs in the CRPF group compared to the non-CRPF group. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that CRP levels on POD 2, 5, and 7 can predict CRPF development after LPD, with the area under the curve (AUC) value reaching the highest level on POD 2 (AUC 0.794). PCT levels on POD 2, 3, 5, and 7 were highly predictive of CRPF after LPD. The highest AUC value was achieved on POD 3 [PCT > 2.10 ng/ml (AUC 0.951; sensitivity 88.2%, specificity 92.9%, P < 0.001)]. Conclusions Both CRP and PCT levels can be used to predict CRPF development after LPD, with PCT having a higher predictive value.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Christine Bay-Jensen ◽  
Asger Bihlet ◽  
Inger Byrjalsen ◽  
Jeppe Ragnar Andersen ◽  
Bente Juhl Riis ◽  
...  

AbstractThe heterogeneous nature of osteoarthritis (OA) and the need to subtype patients is widely accepted in the field. The biomarker CRPM, a metabolite of C-reactive protein (CRP), is released to the circulation during inflammation. Blood CRPM levels have shown to be associated with disease activity and response to treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We investigated the level of blood CRPM in OA compared to RA using data from two phase III knee OA and two RA studies (N = 1591). Moreover, the association between CRPM levels and radiographic progression was investigated. The mean CRPM levels were significantly lower in OA (8.5 [95% CI 8.3–8.8] ng/mL, n = 781) compared to the RA patients (12.8 [9.5–16.0] ng/mL, n = 60); however, a significant subset of OA patients (31%) had CRPM levels (≥ 9 ng/mL) comparable to RA. Furthermore, OA patients (n = 152) with CRPM levels ≥ 9 ng/mL were more likely to develop contra-lateral knee OA assessed by X-ray over a two-year follow-up period with an odds ratio of 2.2 [1.0–4.7]. These data suggest that CRPM is a blood-based biochemical marker for early identification OA patients with an inflammatory phenotype.


2008 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 343-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Marsik ◽  
Lili Kazemi-Shirazi ◽  
Thomas Schickbauer ◽  
Stefan Winkler ◽  
Christian Joukhadar ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute-phase protein, is a sensitive systemic marker of inflammation and acute-phase reactions. Testing CRP concentrations at hospital admission may provide information about disease risk and overall survival. Methods: All first-ever transmittals to the department of medical and chemical laboratory diagnostics for determination of low-sensitivity CRP (n = 274 515, 44.5% male, median age 51 years) between January 1991 and July 2003 were included [median follow-up time: 4.4 years (interquartile range, 2.3–7.4 years)]. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Multivariate Cox regression adjusted for sex and age was applied for analysis. Results: Compared to individuals within the reference category (CRP &lt;5 mg/L), hazard ratios (HR) for all-cause mortality increased from 1.4 (5–10 mg/L category) to 3.3 in the highest category (&gt;80 mg/L, all P &lt;0.001). CRP was associated with various causes of death. The relation of CRP to cancer death was stronger than to vascular death. Younger patients with increased CRP had relatively far worse outcome than older patients (maximal HR: ≤30 years: 6.7 vs &gt;60 years: 1.7–3.7). Interestingly, both short- and long-term mortality were associated with increasing CRP concentrations (&gt;80 mg/L: HR 22.8 vs 1.4). Conclusion: Measurement of low-sensitivity CRP at hospital admission allowed for the identification of patients at increased risk of unfavorable outcome. Our findings indicate that close attention should be paid to hospitalized patients with high CRP not only because of very substantial short-term risk, but also long-term excess risk, the basis for which needs to be determined.


Author(s):  
Andriy Zhydkov ◽  
Mirjam Christ-Crain ◽  
Robert Thomann ◽  
Claus Hoess ◽  
Christoph Henzen ◽  
...  

AbstractThe added value of biomarkers, such as procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and white blood cells (WBC), as adjuncts to clinical risk scores for predicting the outcome of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is in question. We investigated the prognostic accuracy of initial and follow-up levels of inflammatory biomarkers in predicting death and adverse clinical outcomes in a large and well-defined cohort of CAP patients.We measured PCT, CRP and WBC on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 and followed the patients over 30 days. We applied multivariate regression models and area under the curve (AUC) to investigate associations between these biomarkers, the clinical risk score CURB-65, and clinical outcomes [i.e., death and intensive care unit (ICU) admission].Of 925 patients with CAP, 50 patients died and 118 patients had an adverse clinical outcome. None of the initial biomarker levels significantly improved the CURB-65 score for mortality prediction. Follow-up biomarker levels showed significant independent association with mortality at days 3, 5, and 7 and with improvements in AUC. Initial PCT and CRP levels were independent prognostic predictors of adverse clinical outcome, and levels of all biomarkers during the course of disease provided additional prognostic information.This study provides robust insights into the added prognostic value of inflammatory markers in CAP. Procalcitonin, CRP, and to a lesser degree WBC provided some prognostic information on CAP outcomes, particularly when considering their kinetics at days 5 and 7 and when looking at adverse clinical outcomes instead of mortality alone.


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