The Role of Albumin/Globulin Ratio in Discharged COVID-19 Patients with Re-Positive Nucleic Acid Detection

Figures & data

Table 1 Characteristics at Baseline in COVID-19 Patients with and without Re-Positive Findings

Variables	Re-Positive Group (N=23)	Non-Re-Positive Group (N=346)	p
Age (%)			0.8123
≤45	9 (39.1)	150 (44.0)
>45	14 (60.9)	191 (56.0)
Sex (%)			1
F	12 (52.2)	171 (50.1)
M	11 (47.8)	170 (49.9)
Medical history
Hypertension - n (%)			0.1063
N	15 (65.2)	271 (81.4)
Y	8 (34.8)	62 (18.6)
Diabetes - n (%)			0.7444
N	20 (87.0)	304 (91.3)
Y	3 (13.0)	29 (8.7)
Coronary heart disease - n (%)			0.4702
N	22 (95.7)	331 (99.4)
Y	1 (4.3)	2 (0.6)
Chronic heart diseases - n (%)			0.5786
N	21 (91.3)	317 (95.2)
Y	2 (8.7)	16 (4.8)
Cerebrovascular disease - n (%)			0.7473
N	22 (95.7)	328 (98.8)
Y	1 (4.3)	4 (1.2)
Laboratory parameters on fist hospital admission
Procalcitonin, median [IQR], ng/mL	0.08 [0.05, 0.25]	0.10 [0.05, 0.25]	0.5792
Procalcitonin - n (%)			1
≤0.046	4 (26.7)	63 (24.8)
>0.046	11 (73.3)	191 (75.2)
C-reactive protein, median [IQR], mg/L	12.00 [3.42, 32.70]	8.95 [3.51, 25.30]	0.8316
C-reactive protein - n (%)			0.8704
≤8	10 (43.5)	156 (47.6)
>8	13 (56.5)	172 (52.4)
White-cell count, median [IQR], 10^9/L	5.09 [4.20, 6.54]	4.71 [3.80, 6.04]	0.32
White-cell count - n (%)			0.8816
[4, 10]	16 (69.6)	213 (65.3)
<4	6 (26.1)	101 (31.0)
>10	1 (4.3)	12 (3.7)
Neutrophil count, median [IQR], 10^9/L	3.20 [2.35, 4.10]	2.90 [2.11, 4.03]	0.32
Neutrophil count - n (%)			0.9241
[1.8, 6.3]	19 (82.6)	258 (79.1)
<1.8	3 (13.0)	51 (15.6)
>6.3	1 (4.3)	17 (5.2)
Lymphocyte count, median [IQR], 10^9/L	1.33 [0.90, 1.53]	1.30 [0.95, 1.58]	0.9395
Lymphocyte count - n (%)			NaN
[1.1, 3.2]	15 (65.2)	219 (67.2)
<1.1	8 (34.8)	107 (32.8)
>3.2	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)
Hemoglobin, median [IQR], g/L	135.00 [125.00, 143.50]	134.00 [124.00, 146.00]	0.7933
Hemoglobin - n (%)			0.9017
≤110	1 (4.3)	24 (7.4)
>110	22 (95.7)	302 (92.6)
Platelet count, median [IQR], 10^9/L	189.00 [149.00, 219.00]	187.00 [153.00, 235.50]	0.8365
Platelet count - n (%)			1
≤100	0 (0.0)	7 (2.1)
>100	23 (100.0)	319 (97.9)
Lymphocyte-to-white-cell ratio, median [IQR]	0.26 [0.19, 0.30]	0.28 [0.21, 0.35]	0.3556
Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, median [IQR]	2.40 [2.04, 3.46]	2.21 [1.56, 3.30]	0.3545
Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, median [IQR]	145.03 [121.64, 195.21]	150.53 [114.09, 205.04]	0.9864
Albumin, median [IQR], g/L	42.20 [37.90, 43.70]	41.00 [37.45, 43.50]	0.4918
Albumin - n (%)			0.6428
>40	12 (63.2)	173 (54.9)
≤40	7 (36.8)	142 (45.1)
Globulin, median [IQR], g/L	27.60 [26.50, 32.05]	28.60 [25.55, 31.40]	0.9201
Globulin - n (%)			0.6436
[20, 40]	19 (100.0)	301 (95.6)
<20	0 (0.0)	7 (2.2)
>40	0 (0.0)	7 (2.2)
Albumin-to-globulin ratio, median [IQR]	1.42 [1.29, 1.57]	1.44 [1.26, 1.62]	0.6946
Alanine aminotransferase, median [IQR], IU/L	20.00 [16.00, 29.00]	22.50 [14.00, 34.75]	0.6563
Alanine aminotransferase - n (%)			0.7812
≤69	23 (100.0)	315 (96.6)
>69	0 (0.0)	11 (3.4)
Aspartate aminotransferase, median [IQR], IU/L	23.00 [18.25, 28.25]	24.00 [18.00, 34.00]	0.4345
Aspartate aminotransferase - n (%)			0.6405
≤46	23 (100.0)	311 (95.7)
>46	0 (0.0)	14 (4.3)
Serum creatinine, median [IQR], μmol/L	61.00 [55.00, 73.00]	63.00 [54.00, 75.30]	0.9513
Creatine kinase, median [IQR], IU/L	63.00 [46.50, 83.40]	67.00 [48.70, 107.50]	0.4705
Creatine kinase - n (%)			0.5435
Abnormal^∮	1 (5.0)	35 (12.2)
Normal^∮	19 (95.0)	252 (87.8)
Lactate dehydrogenase, median [IQR], IU/L	218.50 [189.50, 256.75]	211.00 [174.00, 264.00]	0.9627
Lactate dehydrogenase - n (%)			1
≤245	12 (66.7)	187 (67.0)
>245	6 (33.3)	92 (33.0)

Notes: ^∮Abnormal was defined when creatine kinase was greater than 174 IU/L for male and greater than 140 IU/L for female; normal was defined when creatine kinase was less than or equal to 174 IU/L for male and less than or equal to 140 IU/L for female. Data are presented as count (percentage) for categorical outcomes and as median [quartiles] for continuous outcomes. Groups comparison were using Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables and Kruskal–Wallis rank sum test for quantitative variables. P-values of less than 0.05 was regarded as significant. P-values presented in this table have not been adjusted for multiplicity. No imputation was made for missing data. All statistical analyses were performed with R software (version 3.6.3; www.r-project.org).

Figure 1 Correlation analysis for albumin/globulin ratio (AGR) and the period from hospital discharge to positive again (A) or the duration from last negative to positive again (B).