Dynamic changes of D-dimer and neutrophil-lymphocyte count ratio as prognostic biomarkers in COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Since December 2019, the outbreak of COVID-19 caused a large number of hospital admissions in China. Many patients with COVID-19 have symptoms of acute respiratory distress syndrome, even are in danger of death. This is the first study to evaluate dynamic changes of D-Dimer and Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Count Ratio (NLR) as a prognostic utility in patients with COVID-19 for clinical use. METHODS: In a retrospective study, we collected data from 349 hospitalized patients who diagnosed as the infection of the COVID-19 in Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital. We used ROC curves and Cox regression analysis to explore critical value (optimal cut-off point associated with Youden index) and prognostic role of dynamic changes of D-Dimer and NLR. RESULTS: Three hundred forty-nine participants were enrolled in this study and the mortality rate of the patients with laboratory diagnosed COVID-19 was 14.9%. The initial and peak value of D-Dimer and NLR in deceased patients were higher statistically compared with survivors (P < 0.001). There was a more significant upward trend of D-Dimer and NLR during hospitalization in the deceased patients, initial D-Dimer and NLR were lower than the peak tests (MD) -25.23, 95% CI: - 31.81- -18.64, P < 0.001; (MD) -43.73, 95% CI:-59.28- -31.17, P < 0.001. The test showed a stronger correlation between hospitalization days, PCT and peak D-Dimer than initial D-Dimer. The areas under the ROC curves of peak D-Dimer and peak NLR tests were higher than the initial tests (0.94(95%CI: 0.90-0.98) vs. 0.80 (95% CI: 0.73-0.87); 0.93 (95%CI:0.90-0.96) vs. 0.86 (95%CI:0.82-0.91). The critical value of initial D-Dimer, peak D-Dimer, initial NLR and peak NLR was 0.73 mg/L, 3.78 mg/L,7.13 and 14.31 respectively. 35 (10.03%) patients were intubated. In the intubated patients, initial and peak D-Dimer and NLR were much higher than non-intubated patients (P < 0.001). The critical value of initial D-Dimer, peak D-Dimer, initial NLR and peak NLR in prognosticate of intubation was 0.73 mg/L, 12.75 mg/L,7.28 and 27.55. The multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that age (HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00-1.07, P = 0.01), the peak D-Dimer (HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.04, P < 0.001) were prognostic factors for COVID-19 patients' death. CONCLUSIONS: To dynamically observe the ratio of D-Dimer and NLR was more valuable during the prognosis of COVID-19. The rising trend in D-Dimer and NLR, or the test results higher than the critical values may indicate a risk of death for participants with COVID-19.

Mining the Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients in China: Analysis of Social Media Posts.

BACKGROUND: In December 2019, pneumonia cases of unknown origin were reported in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Identified as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the number of cases grew rapidly by human-to-human transmission in Wuhan. Social media, especially Sina Weibo (a major Chinese microblogging social media site), has become an important platform for the public to obtain information and seek help. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to analyze the characteristics of suspected or laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients who asked for help on Sina Weibo. METHODS: We conducted data mining on Sina Weibo and extracted the data of 485 patients who presented with clinical symptoms and imaging descriptions of suspected or laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19. In total, 9878 posts seeking help on Sina Weibo from February 3 to 20, 2020 were analyzed. We used a descriptive research methodology to describe the distribution and other epidemiological characteristics of patients with suspected or laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) infection. The distance between patients' home and the nearest designated hospital was calculated using the geographic information system ArcGIS. RESULTS: All patients included in this study who sought help on Sina Weibo lived in Wuhan, with a median age of 63.0 years (IQR 55.0-71.0). Fever (408/485, 84.12%) was the most common symptom. Ground-glass opacity (237/314, 75.48%) was the most common pattern on chest computed tomography; 39.67% (167/421) of families had suspected and/or laboratory-confirmed family members; 36.58% (154/421) of families had 1 or 2 suspected and/or laboratory-confirmed members; and 70.52% (232/329) of patients needed to rely on their relatives for help. The median time from illness onset to real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing was 8 days (IQR 5.0-10.0), and the median time from illness onset to online help was 10 days (IQR 6.0-12.0). Of 481 patients, 32.22% (n=155) lived more than 3 kilometers away from the nearest designated hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that patients seeking help on Sina Weibo lived in Wuhan and most were elderly. Most patients had fever symptoms, and ground-glass opacities were noted in chest computed tomography. The onset of the disease was characterized by family clustering and most families lived far from the designated hospital. Therefore, we recommend the following: (1) the most stringent centralized medical observation measures should be taken to avoid transmission in family clusters; and (2) social media can help these patients get early attention during Wuhan's lockdown. These findings can help the government and the health department identify high-risk patients and accelerate emergency responses following public demands for help.

Long-term Changes in the Premature Death Rate in Lung Cancer in a Developed Region of China: Population-based Study.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, and its incidence shows an upward trend. A study of the long-term changes in the premature death rate in lung cancer in a developed region of China has great exploratory significance to further clarify the effectiveness of intervention measures. OBJECTIVE: This study examined long-term changes in premature lung cancer death rates in order to understand the changes in mortality and to design future prevention plans in Pudong New Area (PNA), Shanghai, China. METHODS: Cancer death data were collected from the Mortality Registration System of PNA. We analyzed the crude mortality rate (CMR), age-standardized mortality rate by Segi's world standard population (ASMRW), and years of life lost (YLL) of patients with lung cancer from 1973 to 2019. Temporal trends in the CMR, ASMRW, and YLL rate were calculated by joinpoint regression expressed as an average annual percentage change (AAPC) with the corresponding 95% CI. RESULTS: All registered permanent residents in PNA (80,543,137 person-years) from 1973 to 2019 were enrolled in this study. There were 42,229 deaths from lung cancer. The CMR and ASMRW were 52.43/105 and 27.79/105 person-years, respectively. The YLL due to premature death from lung cancer was 481779.14 years, and the YLL rate was 598.16/105 person-years. The CMR and YLL rate showed significantly increasing trends in men, women, and the total population (P<.001). The CMR of the total population increased by 2.86% (95% CI 2.66-3.07, P<.001) per year during the study period. The YLL rate increased with an AAPC of 2.21% (95% CI 1.92-2.51, P<.001) per year. The contribution rates of increased CMR values caused by demographic factors were more evident than those caused by nondemographic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Lung cancer deaths showed an increasing trend in PNA from 1973 to 2019. Demographic factors, such as the aging population, contributed more to an increased CMR. Our research can help us understand the changes in lung cancer mortality and can be used for similar cities in designing future prevention plans.

Identification of COVID-19 Clinical Phenotypes by Principal Component Analysis-Based Cluster Analysis.

Background: COVID-19 has been quickly spreading, making it a serious public health threat. It is important to identify phenotypes to predict the severity of disease and design an individualized treatment. Methods: We collected data from 213 COVID-19 patients in Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital from January 1 to March 30, 2020. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis were used to classify patients. Results: We identified three distinct subgroups of COVID-19. Cluster 1 was the largest group (52.6%) and characterized by oldest age, lowest cellular immune function, and albumin levels. 38.5% of subjects were grouped into Cluster 2. Most of the lab results in Cluster 2 fell between those of Clusters 1 and 3. Cluster 3 was the smallest cluster (8.9%), characterized by youngest age and highest cellular immune function. The incidence of respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), heart failure, and usage of non-invasive mechanical ventilation in Cluster 1 was significantly higher than others (P < 0.05). Cluster 1 had the highest death rate of 30.4% (P = 0.005). Although there were significant differences in age between Clusters 2 and 3 (P < 0.001), we found that there was no difference in demand for medical resources. Conclusions: We identified three distinct clusters of the COVID-19 patients. The results show that age alone could not be used to assess a patient's condition. Specifically, management of albumin, and immune function are important in reducing the severity of disease.