Changes of Routine Hematological Parameters in COVID-19 Patients: Correlation with Imaging Findings, RT-PCR and Outcome

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is progressively spreading, and many researchers have focused on the prognostic value of laboratory analyses. This study reviewed routine blood parameters, upper respiratory viral load, and chest imaging in recovered and expired COVID-19 patients and evaluated possible correlations.

METHODS

In this retrograde study, 138 COVID-19 cases were enrolled. Chest tomography scores of patients, routine hematologic and biochemical parameters, and respiratory viral loads were measured. Furthermore, their correlation with severity of disease and the outcome was investigated during a week of admission.

RESULTS

The mean age of participants was 58.6±16; 36.2% of whom were diagnosed as critical, 8.7% expired, and 46% showed less than 50% lung opacity. The expiring rate was only correlated to the severity of illness and viral load. During admission, hemoglobin concentration was decreased in critical patients (from 11.49±0.27 to 10.59±0.36, P=0.042) and also among CT-scan scoring groups (P=0.000), while neutrophils (P=0.04), WBC (P=0.03), and platelets (P=0.000) count were increased. In patients with more than 50% lung opacity, leukocyte counts were decreased, but neutrophil and platelets counts showed raise (all P<0.05), while other hematologic parameters did not change. CRP and LDH demonstrated no increase based on the severity of the illness, RT-PCR viral loads and/or outcome. However, both CRP and LDH were increased in patients with more than 50% lobal opacity (CRP: 69.3±9.9 to 1021.1±7.5 and LDH:589.5±93.2 to 1128.6±15.81, P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

We found that hemoglobin, white blood cells, neutrophil, lymphocytes, and platelets count together with chest tomography score might be beneficial for expedition the diagnosis, assessmen the severity of the disease, and outcome in the hospitalized cases, while CRP and LDH might be considered as the consequence of lung involvement.

Efficient electrocatalysis of L-cysteine oxidation at carbon ionic liquid electrode

The electrochemistry of L-cysteine (CySH) in neutral aqueous media was investigated using carbon ionic liquid electrode (CILE). Comparative experiments were carried out using glassy carbon electrodes. At CILE, highly reproducible and well-defined cyclic voltammograms were obtained for l-cysteine with a peak potential of 0.49V vs Ag/AgCl, showing that CILE manifests a good electrocatalytic activity toward oxidation of l-cysteine. A linear dynamic range of 2-210microM with an experimental detection limit of 2microM was obtained. The method was successfully applied to the determination of l-cysteine in a sample of soya milk. Cysteine oxidation at CILE does not result in deactivation of the electrode surface. Mechanistic studies showed that, at CILE, the overall CySH oxidation is controlled by the oxidation of the CyS(-) electroactive species.

Nicotine-induced grooming: a possible dopaminergic and/or cholinergic mechanism

The ability of nicotine, to induce grooming in rats was studied. Grooming was induced by i.p. injection of different doses (0.0675-0.5 mg/kg) of nicotine to rats. The effect was dose-dependent. However, the response was decreased with increasing doses of the drug from 0.25-0.5 mg/kg. Administration of the dopamine (DA) D1/D2 receptor agonist apomorphine (0.025-5 mg/kg, i.p.) also caused grooming in a dose-dependent manner. High doses of apomorphine (0.1-0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) also induced a lower degree of response. Combination of a low dose of nicotine (0.0675 mg/kg) with different doses of apomorphine did not show any interaction. However, there was an interaction between a high dose of nicotine and apomorphine. Thus, combination of a higher dose of nicotine (0.125 mg/kg) with apomorphine, reduced apomorphine-induced grooming. The muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine (5 and 10 mg/kg), peripheral nicotinic receptor antagonist hexamethonium (5 and 10 mg/kg), central nicotinic receptor antagonist mecamylamine (1 and 3 mg/kg) and D1 DA receptor antagonist SCH23390 (0.05 and 0.1 mg/kg) all decreased the response to nicotine. Atropine, mecamylamine and SCH23390 by themselves reduced spontaneous grooming. It is concluded that nicotine elicits grooming indirectly through a possible D1 dopaminergic mechanism. However, muscarinic and nicotinic cholinergic mechanism(s) may be involved.