Association and Interaction Between Serum Interleukin-6 Levels and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease in Patients With Severe Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Background and Aim: Circulating levels of interleukin (IL)-6, a well-known inflammatory cytokine, are often elevated in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Elevated IL-6 levels are also observed in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Our study aimed to describe the association between circulating IL-6 levels and MAFLD at hospital admission with risk of severe COVID-19. Methods: A total of 167 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from three Chinese hospitals were enrolled. Circulating levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interferon (IFN)-γ were measured at admission. All patients were screened for fatty liver by computed tomography. Forty-six patients were diagnosed as MAFLD. Results: Patients with MAFLD (n = 46) had higher serum IL-6 levels (median 7.1 [interquartile range, 4.3-20.0] vs. 4.8 [2.6-11.6] pg/mL, p = 0.030) compared to their counterparts without MAFLD (n = 121). After adjustment for age and sex, patients with MAFLD had a ~2.6-fold higher risk of having severe COVID-19 than those without MAFLD. After adjustment for age, sex and metabolic co-morbidities, increased serum IL-6 levels remained associated with higher risk of severe COVID-19, especially among infected patients with MAFLD (adjusted-odds ratio 1.14, 95% CI 1.05-1.23; p = 0.002). There was a significant interaction effect between serum IL-6 levels and MAFLD for risk of severe COVID-19 (p for interaction = 0.008). Conclusions: Patients with MAFLD and elevated serum IL-6 levels at admission are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

Metabolic associated fatty liver disease increases coronavirus disease 2019 disease severity in nondiabetic patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has attracted increasing worldwide attention. While diabetes is known to aggravate COVID-19 severity, it is not known whether nondiabetic patients with metabolic dysfunction are also more prone to more severe disease. The association of metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) with COVID-19 severity in nondiabetic patients was investigated here. METHODS: The study cohort comprised 65 patients with (i.e. cases) and 65 patients without MAFLD (i.e. controls). Each case was randomly matched with one control by sex (1:1) and age (±5 years). The association between the presence of MAFLD (as exposure) and COVID-19 severity (as the outcome) was assessed by binary logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: In nondiabetic patients with COVID-19, the presence of MAFLD was associated with a four-fold increased risk of severe COVID-19; the risk increased with increasing numbers of metabolic risk factors. The association with COVID-19 severity persisted after adjusting for age, sex, and coexisting morbid conditions. CONCLUSION: Health-care professionals caring for nondiabetic patients with COVID-19 should be cognizant of the increased likelihood of severe COVID-19 in patients with MAFLD.

Radiomics-based model for accurately distinguishing between severe acute respiratory syndrome associated coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza A infected pneumonia.

Clinicians have been faced with the challenge of differentiating between severe acute respiratory syndrome associated coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infected pneumonia (NCP) and influenza A infected pneumonia (IAP), a seasonal disease that coincided with the outbreak. We aim to develop a machine-learning algorithm based on radiomics to distinguish NCP from IAP by texture analysis based on computed tomography (CT) imaging. Forty-one NCP and 37 IAP patients admitted from January to February 6, 2019 admitted to two hospitals in Wenzhou, China. All patients had undergone chest CT examination and blood routine tests prior to receiving medical treatment. NCP was diagnosed by real-time RT-PCR assays. Eight of 56 radiomic features extracted by LIFEx were selected by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression to develop a radiomics score and subsequently constructed into a nomogram to predict NCP with area under the operating characteristics curve of 0.87 (95% confidence interval: 0.77-0.93). The nomogram also showed excellent calibration with Hosmer-Lemeshow test yielding a nonsignificant statistic (P = .904). The novel nomogram may efficiently distinguish between NCP and IAP patients. The nomogram may be incorporated to existing diagnostic algorithm to effectively stratify suspected patients for SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia.

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease is associated with severity of COVID-19.

The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has attracted increasing worldwide attention. While metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) affects a quarter of world population, its impact on COVID-19 severity has not been characterized. We identified 55 MAFLD patients with COVID-19, who were 1:1 matched by age, sex and obesity status to non-aged severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected patients without MAFLD. Our results demonstrate that in patients aged less than 60 years with COVID-19, MAFLD is associated with an approximately fourfold increase (adjusted odds ratio 4.07, 95% confidence interval 1.20-13.79, P = .02) in the probability for severe disease, after adjusting for confounders. Healthcare professionals caring for patients with COVID-19 need to be aware that there is a positive association between MAFLD and severe illness with COVID-19.

Nasal NK/T cell lymphoma presents with long-term nasal blockage and fever: a rare case report and literature review.

NK/T cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is a common disease which is a threat to human health. Nasal NKTCL is a rare but serious type of systemic lymphoma because of its high mortality rate and serious complications. In this case report, we describe a male who presented with nasal blockage in the right side, a fever of one month duration and a soy-like, painless and gradually increasing mass in the right submandibular region due to nasal NKTCL. The patient had no significant medical history and the initial clinical symptoms were nasal blockage. Contrast computed tomography showed that the nasopharyngeal mucosa was thickened and that the celiac and retroperitoneal lymphaden was intumescent. Finally a biopsy, guided by nasal endoscopy and examined using flow cytometry confirmed a diagnosis of NKTCL. Nasal NKTCL is rare and has no unique characteristics at first presentation, such as epidemiology and obvious clinical manifestation. As no effective therapy is currently available for this disease, early diagnosis and therapy of nasal NKTCL remains challenging.

Cerebral hemorrhage due to tuberculosis meningitis: a rare case report and literature review.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a common disease to threaten human health. TB of the central nervous system (CNS) is rare but the most serious type of systemic TB because of its high mortality rate, serious neurological complications and sequelae. In this case report, we describe a woman who presented with walking instability, intracerebral hemorrhage and leptomeningeal enhancement due to tuberculosis meningitis. The patient had no significant medical history and the initial clinical symptoms were walking instability. On analysis, the cerebrospinal fluid was colorless and transparent, the pressure was more than 400 mm H2O, there was lymphocytic pleocytosis, increased protein, and decreased glucose levels present. No tuberculosis or other bacteria were detected. The patient's brain computed tomography image showed intra-cerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and contrast magnetic resonance imaging showed ICH in the right frontal lob, and leptomeningeal enhancement. CNS TB is rare but has a high mortality rate. As this disease has no unique characteristics at first presentation such as epidemiology and obvious clinical manifestation, a diagnosis of CNS TB remains difficult.