Urinalysis, but Not Blood Biochemistry, Detects the Early Renal Impairment in Patients with COVID-19
Haifeng Zhou,
Zili Zhang,
Maria Dobrinina,
Yalan Dong,
Zhenyu Kang,
Valerii Chereshnev,
Desheng Hu,
Zhe Zhang,
Jun Zhang,
Alexey Sarapultsev
Affiliations
Haifeng Zhou
Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
Zili Zhang
Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
Maria Dobrinina
Institute of Immunology and Physiology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 620049 Ekaterinburg, Russia
Yalan Dong
Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
Zhenyu Kang
Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
Valerii Chereshnev
Institute of Immunology and Physiology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 620049 Ekaterinburg, Russia
Desheng Hu
Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
Zhe Zhang
Department of Physical Examination, the Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430014, China
Jun Zhang
Department of Critical Care Medicine, Wuhan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Wuhan 430014, China
Alexey Sarapultsev
Institute of Immunology and Physiology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 620049 Ekaterinburg, Russia
Background: Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), has created a tremendous economic and medical burden. The prevalence and prognostic value of SARS-CoV-2-induced kidney impairment remain controversial. The current study aimed to provide additional evidence on the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in COVID-19 patients and propose the use of urinalysis as a tool for screening kidney impairment. Methods: 178 patients with confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. The laboratory examinations included routine blood tests, blood biochemical analyses (liver function, renal function, lipids, and glucose), blood coagulation index, lymphocyte subset and cytokine analysis, urine routine test, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation, and serum ferritin. Results: No patient exhibited a rise in serum creatinine or Cystatin C and occurrence of AKI, and only 2.8% of patients were recorded with an elevated level of blood urea nitrogen among all cases. On the contrary, 54.2% of patients who underwent routine urine testing presented with an abnormal urinalysis as featured by proteinuria, hematuria, and leucocyturia. Conclusions: Kidney impairment is prevalent among COVID-19 patients, with an abnormal urinalysis as a clinical manifestation, implying that a routine urine test is a stronger indication of prospective kidney complication than a blood biochemistry test.
