Abstract
Background and Aim : Although vaccination practices continue at a fast pace around the world, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) still threatens people’s lives. In this study, we aimed to determine the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in patients who do not have the typical symptoms of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but only present with dyspepsia, and to investigate the role of immature granulocytes in the early diagnosis of these patients. Material and Methods : Adult and pediatric patients suffering from dyspepsia were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups, ”positive” and ”negative”, based on their SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction test results. Immature granulocyte count (IG), immature granulocyte percentage (IG%), C-reactive protein (CRP), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) values were recorded. Results: A total of 238 patients, including 25 (10.5%) pediatric and 213 (89.5%) adult patients, were included in the study. A total of 2 (8%) pediatric patients and 17 (7.9%) adult patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The IG, IG%, and CRP parameters were significantly higher in the SARS-CoV-2-positive patients compared to the SARS-CoV-2-negative patients. The optimal cut-off value predictive of COVID-19 infection was determined to be ≥0.650 (sensitivity: 52.6% and specificity: 95.5%, p = 0.001) for IG%. Conclusions: It should be noted that dyspepsia may also be a COVID-19 symptom. IG% values, which can be determined with a hemogram test, a cheap and easily accessible test, may be a warning in the early detection of patients who do not have the typical symptoms of COVID-19.
Keywords: COVID-19; digestive symptom; dyspepsia; immature granulocyte.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, dyspepsia, immature granulocyte., digestive symptom, 【초록키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, vaccination, pediatric, C-reactive protein, CRP, novel coronavirus disease, Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, early diagnosis, COVID-19 infection, Patient, patients, NLR, COVID-19 symptom, Predictive, granulocyte, acute respiratory syndrome, Pediatric patient, two groups, cut-off value, positive, parameter, polymerase chain, tested, was determined, determine, digestive, significantly higher, immature, were recorded, Material and Method, SARS-CoV-2-positive patient, typical symptom, 【제목키워드】 granulocyte, Increased, Accompanying, percentage,