Laboratory findings of non-severe and severe COVID-19 patients with chronic airway diseases
When compared with non-severe patients, severe patients were more likely to have elevated neutrophil counts (8.2 vs. 4.1 × 10⁹/L, p = 0.001), decreased lymphocyte counts (0.6 vs. 1.1× 10⁹/L, p < 0.001), eosinopenia (< 0.02 × 10⁹/L, 73% vs. 24%, p < 0.001), elevated d-dimer (> 1 μg/mL, 88% vs. 42%, p = 0.001), increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (471.0 vs. 230.0 U/L, p < 0.001), elevated blood urea nitrogen (> 9.5 mmol/L, 42% vs. 3%, p < 0.001), increased hypersensitive troponin I (> 34 pg/mL, 48% vs. 7%, p = 0.001), and increased inflammation markers including C-reactive protein (CRP) (126.2 vs. 19.9 mg/L, p < 0.001), procalcitonin (≥ 0.05 ng/mL, 96% vs. 43%, p < 0.001) and ferritin (1264.2 vs. 293.6 mg/L, p = 0.004) (Table 2). Of note, significant differences in the expression of inflammation-related cytokines including interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were observed between the two groups, which were dramatically increased in severe patients.