suPaR LEVELS AND COVID-19: IS THERE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN suPAR LEVELS AND PROGNOSIS OF COVID-19 INFECTION?

Ahmed Bilal Genc¹, Selcuk Yaylaci¹, Hamad Dheir¹, Kubilay İssever¹, Ahmed Cihad Genc¹, Havva Kocayigit², Deniz Cekic¹, Elif Ozozen³, Elif Kose⁴, Cengiz Karacaer¹, Ceyhun Varim¹, Tezcan Kaya¹, Ahmet Nalbant¹, Erdem Çokluk⁵, Mehmet Koroglu³, Ali Tamer¹, Oğuz Karabay⁶ 

¹Sakarya University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Sakarya, Turkey - ²Sakarya University Faculty of Medicine,Department of Intensive care, Sakarya, Turkey - ³Sakarya University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Sakarya, Turkey ^{- 4}Sakarya University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Sakarya, Turkey - ⁵Sakarya University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Sakarya, Turkey - ⁶Sakarya University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Sakarya, Turkey

Objective: suPAR is known as a marker for inflammation. In this study, we aimed to analyse suPAR levels and its correlation with disease prognosis in COVID-19 patients. 

Method: Demographical, clinical and laboratory data of the 36 patients were recorded. Existence of suPAR levels and other parameters along with prognosis was studied. 

Result: Of 36 patients included in this study, 15 were female (42%) and 21 were male (58%). The median age of the patients with mortality was 73 (min-max ,IR; 49-88, 25), and the median age of the patients with no mortality was 72 (min-max ,IR; 47-83, 21) revealing a statistically non-significant difference (p=0,596). Among lab tests, hemoglobin (p=0,044), urea (p=0,011), troponin(p=0,033), LDH (p=0,005), and procalcitonin (p=0,036) were significantly associated with mortality. Median suPAR level was 102 (min-max, IR; 29-540, 274) for the patients with no mortality whereas,  median suPAR level was 61 (min-max, IR; 29-540, 355) for the patients with mortality, and the difference was statistically non-significant (p=0,607). 

Conclusion: suPAR levels seem to be ineffective to predict disease severity and prognosis of COVID-19. More randomised controlled trials with larger groups are needed to clarify the association of suPAR levels and COVID-19.