Abstract
Background: Inlate 2019, a new coronavirus disease was detected in
Wuhan, China and called COVID-19. There are so many unknown factors
about the virus. Iron metabolism is one of the topics have to be
investigated for the development of therapeutic strategies for COVID-19.
The aim of this study is to assess sequential changes in traditional
biochemical iron status indicators during COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods: A
case-control study. Case group was defined as pneumonia with
PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 and the control group consisted of patients
with non-COVID-19 pneumonia. Biomarkers of anemia and iron metabolism,
CRP, procalcitonin were analyzed. Demographic features, CT findings,
SpO2, development of ARDS, ICU admission, duration of hospitalization,
discharge status (event free survival or death) were evaluated. Results:
205 hospitalized patients with pneumonia were analyzed retrospectively.
COVID-19 group was significantly younger than control group. 23 of 106
patients had critical COVID-19 infection. Comorbidity frequency and
mortality rate of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia were significantly
higher. Hb, RET-He, iron, TSAT, CRP, PCT and SpO2 were significantly
lower. Hb, RET-He, iron, TSAT levels significantly correlated to lung
aeration loss, hospitalization day and inflamatory markers in COVID-19
pneumonia. Conclusion: The patients with COVID-19 pneumonia had iron
deficiency anemia even they were young. Iron deficiency may effect the
lung aeration loss related to paranchimal infiltrations of COVID-19 and
mortality of the patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Our data indicates
that iron deficiency is associated with longer hospital stays, lower
oxygenation, higher CRP and procalsitonin.