Procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, ferritin and interleukin-37 levels among COVID-19 patients in the presence or absence of secondary bacterial infections

Abstract

 

Since 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is widely spread and caused by a novel virulent virus belonging to coronaries, leading to fatal respiratory symptoms that are very similar to severe respiratory distress syndrome. Secondary bacterial infections which are the most common complications in COVID-19 became the hidden threat lurking behind the disease. Different clinical signs can refer to the severity of the disease including immunological markers, C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, procalcitonin and anti-inflammatory cytokine (interleukin-37). Hence, the present study was performed to examine the levels of some pathological markers in the presence or absence of secondary bacterial infections in 300 patients with COVID-19 who were classified according to their immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G levels into <50, 50–100, >100 subgroups. Results show significantly elevated levels of each of CRP, ferritin, procalcitonin and neutrophil were related to COVID-19 patients who were with secondary bacterial infections.