To systematically explore potential biomarkers which can predict disease severity in COVID-19 patients and prevent the occurrence or development of severe COVID-19, the levels of 440 factors were analyzed in patients categorized according to COVID-19 disease severity; including asymptomatic, mild, moderate, severe, convalescent and healthy control groups. Factor candidates were validated by ELISA and functional relevance was uncovered by bioinformatics analysis. To identify potential biomarkers of occurrence or development of COVID-19, patient sera from three different severity groups (moderate, severe, and critical) at three time points (admission, remission, and discharge) and the expression levels of candidate biomarkers were measured. Eleven differential factors associated with disease severity were pinpointed from 440 factors across 111 patients of differing disease severity. The dynamic changes of GDF15 reflect the progression of the disease, while the other differential factors include TRAIL R1, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-4, VCAM-1, sFRP-3, FABP2, Transferrin, GDF15, IL-1F7, IL-5Rα, and CD200. Elevation of white blood cell count, neutrophil count, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), Alanine aminotransferase and Aspartate aminotransferase, low lymphocyte and eosinophil counts in the severe group were associated with the severity of COVID-19. GDF15 levels were observed to be associated with the severity of COVID-19 and the dynamic change of GDF15 levels was closely associated with the COVID-19 disease progression. Therefore, GDF15 might serve as an indicator of disease severity in COVID-19 patients.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Biomarker, disease severity, inflammatory factors, GDF15, 【초록키워드】 severe COVID-19, severity, disease severity, neutrophil, progression, discharge, eosinophil, ELISA, GDF15, COVID-19 disease, lymphocyte, Asymptomatic, White blood cell, severity of COVID-19, Transferrin, Patient, Aspartate aminotransferase, Mild, convalescent, group, Bioinformatics analysis, change, Admission, Critical, moderate, predict, COVID-19 patients, NLR, Potential biomarker, COVID-19 patient, blood cell, eosinophil counts, alanine aminotransferase, Indicator, Remission, Factor, expression level, healthy control, severe group, white blood cell count, aspartate, Elevation, neutrophil count, COVID-19 disease severity, candidate, Alanine, patient sera, potential biomarkers, expression levels, TRAIL, CD200, FABP2, VCAM-1, Prevent, Occurrence, analyzed, identify, include, the disease, functional, groups, were measured, 【제목키워드】 differentiation, Profiling, Factor, Comprehensive, Revealed,