Association between C-Reactive Protein Test Result and Clinical Characteristics in Patients with COVID-19

Abstract

Background and objectives: In coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), elevated serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of systemic inflammation, are commonly observed. We aimed to investigate the associations between CRP test results and clinical characteristics in patients with COVID-19. Method: In this cross-sectional study, data from 399 patients with COVID-19 were collected through a census method. The patients were divided into a CRP-positive group (n=335) and a CRP-negative group (n=64). Demographical data, laboratory findings, clinical characteristics, and history of some underlying diseases were compared between the two groups. All analyses were carried out in SPSS (version 21). Results: The frequency of hypertension was 40.1% among the study population, 42.4 % among CRP-positive patients, and 28.1% among CRP-negative patients. Diabetes and heart disease were the most common comorbidities among the patients. Dyspnea (60.4%), fever (52.7%), fatigue (45.4%), and dry cough (40.1%) were the most commonly observed symptoms. The mean duration of hospitalization was 8.14±6.18 days, and the mean duration of intensive care unit stay was 9.09±9.41 days. Moreover, CRP positivity was significantly associated with hypertension, immunosuppressive therapy, and higher duration of hospitalization (p<0.05). Conclusion: Pre-existing hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease with the coincidence of some clinical symptoms are associated with higher levels of CRP in COVID-19 patients, which results in longer hospitalization.

Keywords

• covid-19 testing
• sars-cov-2
• c-reactive protein