The comparison of soluble p-selectin, anti-platelet factor 4, and platelet maximum aggregation levels among coronavirus disease 2019 patients

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to have an enormous and extensive effect on global health, causing widespread devastation. Patients who have recovered from COVID-19 have an increased risk of thromboembolic disease. We suggest that soluble P-selectin and anti-platelet factor 4 (anti-PF4) plays a significant role in platelet activation, ultimately resulting in thrombosis. The purpose of this study is to compare the role of soluble P-selectin, anti-PF4, and platelet maximal aggregation levels in COVID-19 patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among COVID-19 patients who were admitted to the hospital between October 2021 and January 2022. RESULTS: From 160 individuals, we found that a number of individuals with older age (P = 0.014) and lower hemoglobin levels (P = 0.042) were significantly higher in the severe COVID-19 group compared to the nonsevere COVID-19 group. Remarkably, soluble P-selectin levels in mild-to-moderate COVID-19 were found to be significantly higher than the severe group, with statistical significance (P = 0.02). However, there was no significant difference in anti-PF4 levels between severe and nonsevere COVID-19 groups. Furthermore, platelet maximum aggregation was also significantly higher in the severe COVID-19 group than in the mild-to-moderate COVID-19 group by using 2.5 μM (P = 0.024), 5 μM (P = 0.026), and 10 μM adenosine-diphosphate (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Soluble P-selectin, an indicator of platelet activation, was shown to be significantly higher in mild-to-moderate COVID-19 group than the severe COVID-19 group. The maximum aggregation of platelets was also observed to be significantly greater in the severe COVID-19 group.

Keywords

• anti-platelet factor 4
• coronavirus disease 2019
• platelet aggregation
• soluble p-selectin
• thrombosis