Biochemistry tests in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: Experience from a Canadian tertiary care centre

BackgroundCoronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has variable clinical presentation, from asymptomatic to severe disease leading to death. Biochemical markers may help with management and prognostication of COVID-19 patients; however, their utility is still under investigation.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted to evaluate alanine aminotransferase, C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, lactate, and high sensitivity troponin T (TnT) levels in 67 patients who were admitted to a Canadian tertiary care centre for management of COVID-19. Logistic, cause-specific Cox proportional-hazards, and accelerated failure time regression modelling were performed to assess the associations of initial analyte concentrations with in-hospital death and length of stay in hospital; joint modelling was performed to assess the associations of the concentrations over the course of the hospital stay with in-hospital death.ResultsInitial TnT and CRP concentrations were associated with length of stay in hospital. Eighteen patients died (27%), and the median initial TnT concentration was higher in patients who died (55 ng/L) than those who lived (16 ng/L; P < 0.0001). There were no survivors with an initial TnT concentration > 64 ng/L. While the initial TnT concentration was predictive of death, later measurements were not. Only CRP had prognostic value with both the initial and subsequent measurements: a 20% increase in the initial CRP concentration was associated with a 14% (95% confidence interval (CI): 1–29%) increase in the odds of death, and the hazard of death increased 14% (95% CI: 5–25%) for each 20% increase in the current CRP value. While the initial lactate concentration was not predictive of death, subsequent measurements were.ConclusionCRP, lactate and TnT were associated with poorer outcomes and appear to be useful biochemical markers for monitoring COVID-19 patients.     

Clinical outcomes and survival analysis in patients with psycho-cardiological disease: a retrospective analysis of 132 cases

ObjectivesThe deleterious effects of psychological problems on coronary heart disease (CHD) are not satisfactorily explained. We explored influential factors associated with mortality in psycho-cardiological disease in a Chinese sample.MethodsOf 7460 cardiac patients, we selected 132 patients with CHD and mental illness. Follow-up was conducted via telephone. We analyzed clinical characteristics, clinical outcomes, and survival.ResultsThe clinical detection rate of psycho-cardiological disease in the overall patient population was 1.8%. Of these, 113 patients completed follow-up; 18 died owing to cardiovascular diseases during follow-up. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed dysphagia, limb function, self-care ability, percutaneous coronary intervention, low-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, pro-brain natriuretic peptide and high-sensitivity (hs) troponin T had significant associations with cumulative survival. Cox regression analysis showed total cholesterol (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.765, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.001–7.641), hs troponin T (HR: 4.668, 95% CI: 1.293–16.854), and percutaneous coronary intervention (HR: 3.619, 95% CI: 1.383–9.474) were independently associated with cumulative survival.ConclusionsThe clinical detection rate of psycho-cardiological disease was far lower than expected. Normal total cholesterol and hs troponin T were associated with reduced cardiovascular disease mortality over 2 years. Percutaneous coronary intervention is a prognostic risk factor in patients with psycho-cardiological disease.     

HLA-G haplotype structure shows good conservation between different populations and good correlation with high,normal and low soluble HLA-G expression

HLA-G molecule has considerable impact in various clinical fields, therefore many studies attempted to predict its expression based on HLA-G genotype. These studies have focused on polymorphisms in either the coding region or in one of the two untranslated regions (UTR) of the gene. The aim of our study was to determine if HLA-G haplotype defined based on SNPs 5′ and 3′UTR could be used to predict soluble HLA-G expression in unstimulated individuals. Our findings showed that HLA-G haplotype structure was well conserved between distant populations and that the defined haplotypes were correlated with high, normal and low HLA-G soluble secretors. In conclusion, we showed that this genotyping strategy based on the use of a few selected SNPs rather than isolated SNP analysis allows reliable HLA-G expression in all populations. This strategy could be useful in a number of clinical settings, e.g., predicting graft compatibility immunogenetic laboratories.     

Treatment with DNAse I fosters binding to nec PBMC of CRP

CRP is an important inflammatory marker, however, CRP levels are relatively low in patients with SLE. In addition patients with SLE often display low activities and serum levels for DNase I and complement, respectively. Here we show that DNase I treatment of nec PBMC increased their binding of CRP. Consequently, reduced DNase I activity in patients with SLE may contribute to the impaired opsonisation by CRP of dead cells, exacerbating the clearance defect in SLE of apo and nec cells.     

脑梗死患者胰岛素抵抗与CRP,HCY,FIB水平、颈动脉IMT的相关性研究

目的 探讨脑梗死患者胰岛素抵抗(Insulin resistance,IR)与C反应蛋白(C-reactive protein,CRP)、同型半胱氨酸(Homocysteine,HCY)、血浆纤维蛋白原(Fibrinogen,FIB)水平、颈动脉内膜中层厚度(Inteima-media thickness,IMT)的相关性。方法 选择2014年1月-2015年1月入住本院神经内科的脑梗死患者260例纳入观察组,选择同期于本院进行健康体检志愿者260例纳入对照组; 观察组患者入院后24 h内检测空腹血糖(Fasting blood glucose,FBG)、总胆固醇(Total cholesterol,TC)、甘油三酯(Triglyceride,TG)、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(Low density lipoprotein cholesterol,LDL-C)、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(High density liptein cholesterol,HDL-C)、空腹胰岛素(Fasting insulin,FINS)及外周血CRP,HCY,FIB水平; 计算胰岛素抵抗指数(Homa-insulin resistance index,HOMA-IR); 对照组同期进行上述指标水平检测; 按照是否发生IR将观察组分为IR组、非IR组,比较各组上述指标水平; 以Pearson相关分析评价HOMA-IR与其他各项指标水平的相关性。结果 观察组血清FBG,TC,TG,LDL-C,FINS及外周血CRP,HCY,FIB水平及IMT,HOMA-IR均高于对照组,血清HDL-C水平低于对照组(P<0.05); IR组血清FBG,TC,TG,LDL-C,FINS及外周血CRP,HCY,FIB水平及IMT,HOMA-IR均高于非IR组,血清HDL-C水平低于非IR组(P<0.05); 经Pearson相关分析显示,HOMA-IR与TC,TG,LDL-C,HDL-C水平无相关性(P>0.05),与FBG,FINS,CRP,HCY,FIB水平、IMT增加呈正相关(0.3<r<0.6,P<0.05)。结论 脑梗死患者胰岛素抵抗与CRP,HCY,FIB水平、颈动脉IMT增加呈正相关。     

Elevated inflammatory markers in women with remitted major depressive disorder and the role of early life maltreatment

Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been linked to elevated inflammation markers. It remains unclear whether the elevation of C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels are not only observable in acute MDD but also in patients after remission. MDD is a common sequela of early life maltreatment (ELM), which has also been associated with elevated inflammation markers. While the majority of studies investigated (acute) MDD and ELM as isolated predictors of inflammation, a few studies found inflammation levels to be more pronounced in patients with MDD that were exposed to ELM. This investigation included both ELM and MDD in one study and aimed at distinguishing between the effects of MDD in remission (rMDD) and ELM and investigating potential accumulative effects on the inflammatory markers CRP and IL-6 in a population of N = 126 women (n = 122 for CRP and n = 66 for IL-6). We further investigated how disorder characteristics (course and severity) and specific types of ELM affect levels of CRP and IL-6. We found that rMDD predicted levels of CRP and IL-6 and physical abuse predicted levels of CRP when considering both predictors simultaneously, while other types of ELM did not. A later onset of MDD and a shorter time interval since the last episode were associated with higher levels of IL-6. Our findings contribute to the existing literature on the association between MDD and inflammation, suggesting that elevated levels of inflammation markers may persist even after remission of MDD. Our findings on physical abuse as a specific predictor of CRP in the presence of rMDD suggest that different types of ELM could result in distinct inflammation profiles.     

Inflammatory phenotype of depression symptom structure: A network perspective

BackgroundThere has been increasing interest in classifying inflammatory phenotypes of depression. Most investigations into inflammatory phenotypes only have tested whether elevated inflammation is associated with elevated levels of depression symptoms, or risk for a diagnosis. This study expanded the definition of phenotype to include the structure of depression symptoms as a function of inflammation.MethodsNetwork models of depression symptoms were estimated in a sample of 4157 adults (mean age = 47.6, 51% female) from the 2015–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Analyses included comparisons of networks between those with elevated (C-reactive protein (CRP) values ≥ 3.0 mg/L; N = 1696) and non-elevated CRP (N = 2841) as well as moderated network models with CRP group status and raw CRP values moderating the associations between depression symptoms.ResultsDifferences emerged at all levels of analysis (global, symptom-specific, symptom—symptom associations). Specifically, the elevated CRP group had greater symptom connectivity (stronger total associations between symptoms). Further, difficulty concentrating and psychomotor difficulties had higher expected influence (concordance with other symptoms) in the elevated CRP group. Finally, there was evidence that several symptom—symptom associations were moderated by CRP. Conclusions: This study provides consistent evidence that the structure of depression symptoms varies as a function of CRP levels. Greater symptom connectivity might contribute to why elevated CRP is associated with treatment-resistant depression. Additionally, differences in symptom structure might highlight different maintenance mechanisms and treatment targets for individuals with compared to those without elevated CRP. Finally, differences in symptom structure as a function of CRP highlight a potential misalignment of standard depression measures (the structure of which are evaluated on groups unselected for CRP levels) and the presentation of depression symptoms in those with elevated CRP.     

妊娠高血压综合征患者血清IL-12、TNF-α和CRP的变化及其意义

目的测定妊高征患者血清中TNF-α、IL-12和CRP的表达情况,来初步探讨炎性细胞因子及参与炎症反应表达的CRP,在妊高征患者母体免疫系统中的功能,以及与妊高征发病的关系。方法选取妊高征患者76例作为研究对象,随机选取正常晚期妊娠妇女62例作为对照组。检测以上两组孕妇血清TNF-α、IL-12和CRP水平。结果妊高征组与正常妊娠组相比,TNF-α、IL-12、CRP差异有统计学意义（P〈0．01）。轻度予痫前期组与重度子痫前期组相比,TNF-α、IL-12、CRP差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。妊高征组血清IL-12与TNF-α呈正相关关系（P〈0．01）,轻度子痫前期组、重度子痫前期组和正常晚期妊娠组血清IL-12与TNF-α呈正相关关系（P〈0．01）。妊高征组血清CRP与IL—12和TNF-α呈正相关关系（P〈0．01）;轻度子痫前期纽、重度子痫前期组、正常晚期妊娠组血清CRP与IL-12和TNF-α呈正相关关系（P〈0．05）。结论妊高征患者体内IL-12、TNF-α及CRP浓度较正常晚期妊娠妇女体内升高,炎性细胞因子的升高与妊高征的发生密切相关。     

Hemoglobin,alkalic phosphatase,and C‐reactive protein predict the outcome in patients with liposarcoma

Data on prognostic biomarkers in soft tissue sarcomas are scarce. The aim of the study was to define prognostic markers in patients with a liposarcoma, a subtype of sarcoma derived from adipose tissue. We restrospectively reviewed 85 patients with liposarcoma treated at our department from May 1994 to October 2011. Kaplan–Meier curves, uni‐, and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models and competing risk analysis were performed to evaluate the association between putative biomarkers with disease‐specific and overall survival. We observed a significant association between both alkalic phosphatase (ALP; subhazard ratio [SHR] per 1 unit increase: 1.35; 95%CI 1.10–1.65; p = 0.005) and C‐reactive protein (CRP; SHR per 1 mg/dl increase: 2,57; 95%CI 1.36–4,86; p = 0.004) with disease‐specific survival. Hemoglobin (Hb) (HR per 1 g/dl increase: 065; 95%CI 0.48–0.87; p = 0.003) was associated with overall survival. These associations prevailed after multivariable adjustment for AJCC tumor stage. This study identifies CRP and ALP as novel independent predictors of disease‐specific survival in patients with liposarcoma. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 33:765–770, 2015.     

老年高血压患者颈动脉粥样硬化病变及相关因素

目的探讨老年高血压患者的颈动脉粥样硬化病变程度及其与血脂、血尿酸、C-反应蛋白的关系。方法应用彩色多普勒超声检测22例正常老年人(对照组)、47例老年高血压患者(A组)、43例老年高血压合并冠心病患者(B组)的颈动脉内中膜厚度(IMT)、粥样硬化斑块、血流参数[收缩期峰值流速(Vmax)、阻力指数(RI)];同时检测血脂、血尿酸(UA)及C反应蛋白(CRP)。结果A组与对照组比较,平均IMT、最大IMT及CRP增高(均为P<0.001),斑块发生率、Vmax、RI、胆固醇(TC)、低密度脂蛋白(LDL-C)、UA增高(均为P<0.05);B组与A组比较,平均IMT、最大IMT、RI及CRP增加更为明显(均为P<0.001),斑块发生率、Vmax、TC、甘油三酯(TG)、LDL-C、UA也有相应变化(均为P<0.05)。结论老年颈动脉粥样硬化病变与许多危险因素有关,防治应采取综合措施。