https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7228-3511
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Abstract
Aim
Ferritin is a hepatic protein that plays vital roles in diagnosing and predicting diseases, but its potential in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains unknown.
Method
We collected clinical records from 79 COVID-19 patients at Wuhan Union hospital (China). Spearman’s correlation analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Kaplan–Meier survival curves were employed.
Results
Patients with elevated ferritin levels had a higher incidence of severity illness (50.0 vs 2.9%) and liver injury (52.3 vs 20.0%) when compared with patients with normal ferritin levels (p < 0.05). Ferritin could effectively identify the severity of illness (ROC area 0.873) and liver injury (ROC area 0.752). The elevated ferritin group showed longer viral clearance time (median 16 vs 6 days, p < 0.001) and in-hospital length (median 18 vs 10 days, p < 0.001).
Conclusions
It suggests that ferritin could act as an easy-to-use tool to identify liver injury and severity illness and predict the prognosis of COVID-19 patients. Intensive surveillance is necessary for patients with abnormal ferritin levels.
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge all the front-line medical staffs fighting against COVID-19. We show our respect to those who have sacrificed in this war.
Author contributions
Peng Cao: data collection, writing-original draft preparation, conceptualization; Yuanjue Wu: data analysis, manuscript revision; Sanlan Wu: data collection; Tingting Wu: data collection; Rui Zhang: data collection; Qilin Zhang: data collection; Zhao Wang: data collection; Yu Zhang: supervision.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).