Blood biochemical parameters for assessment of COVID-19 in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

This study aims to identify blood biomarkers for rapidly predicting progression and severity assessment of COVID-19 in type 2 diabetic (DM) and non-DM (NDM) patients. Among 211 hospitalized patients suspected of COVID-19, 98 were confirmed COVID-19 by rRT-PCR. The COVID-19 positive group contained 58 DM and 40 NDM patients with total death 9 of which 7 were males and 6 were DM, indicating males and DM individuals as more susceptible to COVID-19. Blood biomarkers notably serum ferritin, CRP, D-dimer, ALT, troponin I, and Hb1Ac were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in COVID-19 patients. Ferritin and HbA1c levels were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in DM than NDM COVID-19 patients. The present study suggests that ferritin and HbA1c levels for DM patients, and ferritin, D-dimer, ALT for NDM patients could be routinely used as biomarkers for progression and severity assessment of COVID-19. CRP and Troponin-I could be the predictor only for poor prognosis of COVID-19.

KEYWORDS:

• Blood biochemical parameters
• COVID-19
• diabetes mellitus
• SARS-CoV-2

Acknowledgments

Authors are thankful to the North East Medical College Hospital for the permission to use the data of patients hospitalized in the COVID Unit, and the dedicated laboratory staff, as well as patients for their consent to participate as the subjects of the study.

Ethical approval and consents of participants

This study was approved by the medical ethics committee of North East Medical College and all the participants provided verbal consents due to the infectivity and the exploration urgency for COVID-19.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

Authors did not receive any funding for this study.