COVID-19 Inflammatory Markers and Vitamin D Relationship in Pediatric Patients

Iulia Cristina Bagiu; Ileana Luminita Scurtu; Delia Ioana Horhat; Ion Cristian Mot; Razvan Mihai Horhat; Radu Vasile Bagiu; Ionut Dragos Capraru; Mircea Mihai Diaconu; Ovidiu Adam; Bogdan Ciornei; Dan Dumitru Vulcanescu; Iulius Juganaru; Andrei-Cristian Bondar; Florin George Horhat

COVID-19 Inflammatory Markers and Vitamin D Relationship in Pediatric Patients

2022

Background: Biomarkers play an important role in COVID-19, and more research in this regard is needed, especially in the case of children. This study aimed to look for a link between the C reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), vitamin D and COVID-19 in pediatric patients. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study, performed on children diagnosed positively with COVID-19 at a children&rsquo:s hospital in western Romania. Available CRP, LDH, CK vitamin D and clinical severity were recorded. For each biomarker, groups were formed by patients&rsquo: age. Mean/median group differences were assessed using Student&rsquo:s t test or Mann&ndash:Whitney and Kruskal&ndash:Wallis with Dunn&rsquo:s post hoc tests. Association was assessed using the chi2 test, while correlation was assessed using Spearman&rsquo:s rank correlation. Results: 181 positive children were studied between 1 August 2021 and 1 February 2022. Average age was 8.76 years (SD = 3.93). There were 94 (51.93%) males and 87 (48.07%) females. The cases were: 62 asymptomatic (34.25%), 107 mild (59.12%), 9 moderate (4.97%), 3 severe (1.66%). Regarding CRP, a significant difference between older and younger patients was observed (p = 0.0034). Clinical severity was associated with CRP (p = 0.0281), LDH (p = 0.0410) and vitamin D (p = 0.0444). Regarding CK, no differences or associations proved significant. Correlation testing was conducted for CRP, LDH, vitamin D and clinical signs. With the exception of LDH-CRP and LDH-vitamin D, all relationships proved statistically significant. Conclusions: CRP, LDH and vitamin D levels are important biomarkers for COVID-19-positive pediatric patients, while CK was mostly within normal ranges.

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