학술논문

COVID-19: age, Interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and lymphocytes as key clues from a multicentre retrospective study
Document Type
Report
Source
Immunity & Ageing. August 14, 2020, Vol. 17 Issue 1
Subject
Development and progression
Risk factors
Health aspects
Interleukins -- Health aspects
Lymphocytes -- Health aspects
Severe acute respiratory syndrome -- Development and progression -- Risk factors
Hypertension -- Risk factors -- Development and progression
Angiotensin II -- Health aspects
C-reactive protein -- Health aspects
Medical research -- Health aspects
COVID-19 -- Development and progression -- Risk factors
Enzyme inhibitors -- Health aspects
Hospital patients -- Health aspects
Disease transmission -- Development and progression -- Risk factors
Epidemics -- Development and progression -- Risk factors
Enzymes -- Health aspects
Comorbidity -- Development and progression -- Risk factors
Language
English
ISSN
1742-4933
Abstract
Author(s): Aurora Jurado[sup.1], María C. Martín[sup.2], Cristina Abad-Molina[sup.3], Antonio Orduéa[sup.3], Alba Martínez[sup.4], Esther Ocaéa[sup.4], Oscar Yarce[sup.1], Ana M. Navas[sup.1], Antonio Trujillo[sup.1], Luis Fernández[sup.5], Esther Vergara[sup.5], Beatriz Rodríguez[sup.6], Bibiana Quirant[sup.7], Eva [...]
Background The SARS-CoV-2 infection has widely spread to become the greatest public health challenge to date, the COVID-19 pandemic. Different fatality rates among countries are probably due to non-standardized records being carried out by local health authorities. The Spanish case-fatality rate is 11.22%, far higher than those reported in Asia or by other European countries. A multicentre retrospective study of demographic, clinical, laboratory and immunological features of 584 Spanish COVID-19 hospitalized patients and their outcomes was performed. The use of renin-angiotensin system blockers was also analysed as a risk factor. Results In this study, 27.4% of cases presented a mild course, 42.1% a moderate one and for 30.5% of cases, the course was severe. Ages ranged from 18 to 98 (average 63). Almost 60 % (59.8%) of patients were male. Interleukin 6 was higher as severity increased. On the other hand, CD8 lymphocyte count was significantly lower as severity grew and subpopulations CD4, CD8, CD19, and NK showed concordant lowering trends. Severity-related natural killer percent descents were evidenced just within aged cases. A significant severity-related decrease of CD4 lymphocytes was found in males. The use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors was associated with a better prognosis. The angiotensin II receptor blocker use was associated with a more severe course. Conclusions Age and age-related comorbidities, such as dyslipidaemia, hypertension or diabetes, determined more frequent severe forms of the disease in this study than in previous literature cohorts. Our cases are older than those so far reported and the clinical course of the disease is found to be impaired by age. Immunosenescence might be therefore a suitable explanation for the hampering of immune system effectors. The adaptive immunity would become exhausted and a strong but ineffective and almost deleterious innate response would account for COVID-19 severity. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors used by hypertensive patients have a protective effect in regards to COVID-19 severity in our series. Conversely, patients on angiotensin II receptor blockers showed a severer disease. Keywords: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, COVID-19, Immunosenescence, Immunity, Renin-angiotensin system, ACE2, Interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, Lymphocytes, Spain