Abstract
C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, and d-dimer are determined in the human plasma of 2745 hospitalized patients with and without coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by automated-latex enhanced immunoassay and immuno-turbidimetric assay. SARS-COV-2 RNA qualitative test, real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) based, is performed in nasopharyngeal swabs to confirm those with SARS-COV-2 positivity. Furthermore, serum proteins are separated and quantified in all the patients by serum protein electrophoresis (SPE). A new SPE parameter, inflammatory protein ratio (IPR), is elaborated for the first time by a mathematical equation that considers the albumin, α1-globulin, and α2-globulin. IPR normal reference range (10.7%-28.3%) is calculated considering the normal reference range of albumin, α1-globulin, and α2-globulin obtained for controls. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson’s, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman’s tests application show that IPR significantly correlates with direct proportionality with d-dimer, CRP, and fibrinogen. Significant (p < 0.001) increase of these parameters, IPR included, is detected in COVID-19 patients only. Our results show that IPR is more specific for monitoring inflammatory status thanks to its correlation with the only three serum proteins involved in inflammation: albumin, α1-globulin, and α2-globulin. Furthermore, IPR can simplify the interpretation of SPE results about inflammatory status, being of unique value compared to the six-serum protein classes separately presented in the typical SPE clinical reports.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-COV-2; albumin; inflammatory state; serum protein electrophoresis.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, albumin, inflammatory state, serum protein electrophoresis., 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, Coronavirus disease 2019, C-reactive protein, CRP, D-dimer, RT-PCR, RNA, Nasopharyngeal swab, Protein, immunoassay, polymerase chain reaction, nasopharyngeal swabs, Interpretation, albumin, fibrinogen, correlation, parameters, Human plasma, Inflammatory, real time, COVID-19 patient, inflammatory state, Chain Reaction, real time Polymerase Chain Reaction, Globulin, Serum protein, serum proteins, qualitative test, dimer, SARS-CoV-2 positivity, variance, ANOVA, all the patients, Pearson, Kruskal-Wallis, inflammatory status, parameter, Spearman, controls, proportionality, polymerase chain, immuno-turbidimetric assay, performed, significantly, involved, the patient, calculated, unique, hospitalized patient, Significant, mathematical, separated, quantified, inflammatory protein, 【제목키워드】 prognostic, parameter, inflammatory protein,