A study of relationship between lipid profile and severity of SARS-CoV-2

Anuradha Ganesan; Santhini Gopalakrishnan; Sumathy Purandhar

Anuradha Ganesan Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Kanchipuram District, TamilNadu, India
Santhini Gopalakrishnan Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Kanchipuram District, TamilNadu, India
Sumathy Purandhar Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Kanchipuram District, TamilNadu, India

Keywords: hypolipidemia, lipid profile and Interleukin 6

Abstract

COVID-19 is a severe acute respiratory disease caused by coronavirus 2. While many biochemical alterations have been studied in patients with COVID-19, only a few studies were available to explore the relationship between serum lipid profile values and the severity of SARS COVID-19 infection. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute on 128 patients infected with SARS COVID-19 from March 2020 to September 2020. It was an age and sex-matched study. Patients were categorized into mild and severe based on the signs and symptoms. A fasting serum lipid profile and IL-6 levels were measured and Pearson’s correlation analysis was done. There was a highly significant decrease in the median and IQR levels of TC, HDL, and LDL in severe cases as compared to mild cases [TC – mild: (256,64), severe (125,44), HDL – mild (46,11), severe (25,13), and LDL – mild (170,48), severe (76,36)]. TGL showed a significant decrease [mild: (170,67), severe:(110,69)]. IL-6 showed a significant increase in severe cases when compared to mild cases [mild:(20,37), severe:(62,105)]. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed a significant inverse relationship between the levels of TC, HDL, and IL-6. However, TGL and LDL showed inverse but no significant relationship with IL-6. As the severity of COVID-19 increases, lipid profile levels start decreasing. Hypolipidemia is a pathognomic finding in severe SARS COVID-19 infection.