tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
World J Exp Med
. 2025 Sep 20;15(3):107220.
doi: 10.5493/wjem.v15.i3.107220. Evaluation of short and long-term laboratory and instrumental findings in COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Tuscany
Caterina Silvestri[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Cristina Stasi[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Francesco Profili[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Simone Bartolacci[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Emiliano Sessa[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Danilo Tacconi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Liliana Villari[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Laura Carrozzi[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP], Francesco Dotta[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Elena Bargagli[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Sandra Donnini[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Luca Masotti[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Laura Rasero[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Federico Lavorini[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Francesco Pistelli[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP], Davide Chimera[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Alessandra Sorano[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Miriana D'alessandro[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Martina Pacifici[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Caterina Milli[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Fabio Voller[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Background: The World Health Organization defined long coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as the continuation or development of new symptoms 3 months after the initial severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, with these symptoms lasting for at least 2 months with no other explanation.
Aim: To evaluate the potential laboratory and instrumental findings (short-term and long-term) resulting from COVID-19.
Methods: This longitudinal observational COVID-19 cohort study (March 1, 2020-March 1, 2021) was carried out on patients ≥ 18 years old who were admitted to the University Hospitals of Pisa, Siena and Careggi and the Azienda USL Toscana Nord Ovest, Sud Est and USL Centro Toscana and were subjected to follow-up. Follow-up was conducted between 0 day and 89 days, 90 days and 179 days, 180 days and 269 days, 270 days and 359 days, and more than 360 days after hospitalization.
Results: Of 2887 patients (58.5% males, average age 66.2 years) hospitalized in the study period (March 1, 2020-March 1, 2021) carrying out at least one follow-up examination within 12 months of discharge, a total of 1739 patients (705 males, average age 66 years) underwent laboratory tests, of whom 714 patients (470 males, average age 63 years) underwent spirometry. Some laboratory test results remained above the threshold even at follow-up beyond 360 days (C-reactive protein: 36%, fibrin degradation fragment: 48.8%, gamma-glutamyl transferase: 16.8%), while others showed a return to normal range more quickly in almost all patients. Alterations in liver enzymes, hematocrit, hemoglobin, lymphocytes and neutrophils were associated with the risk of requiring oxygen therapy or forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity alterations at follow-up.
Conclusion: Alterations in liver enzymes, hematocrit or hemoglobin, lymphocytes and neutrophils were associated with risk outcomes (need for oxygen therapy or spirometry alterations). These imbalanced conditions may contribute to pulmonary dysfunction.
Keywords: Fibrin degradation fragment; Gamma-glutamyl transferase; Long COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Spirometry; Transaminases.
. 2025 Sep 20;15(3):107220.
doi: 10.5493/wjem.v15.i3.107220. Evaluation of short and long-term laboratory and instrumental findings in COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Tuscany
Caterina Silvestri[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Cristina Stasi[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Francesco Profili[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Simone Bartolacci[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Emiliano Sessa[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Danilo Tacconi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Liliana Villari[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Laura Carrozzi[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP], Francesco Dotta[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Elena Bargagli[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Sandra Donnini[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Luca Masotti[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Laura Rasero[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Federico Lavorini[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Francesco Pistelli[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP], Davide Chimera[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Alessandra Sorano[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Miriana D'alessandro[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Martina Pacifici[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Caterina Milli[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Fabio Voller[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 41523768
- PMCID: PMC12781665
- DOI: 10.5493/wjem.v15.i3.107220
Background: The World Health Organization defined long coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as the continuation or development of new symptoms 3 months after the initial severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, with these symptoms lasting for at least 2 months with no other explanation.
Aim: To evaluate the potential laboratory and instrumental findings (short-term and long-term) resulting from COVID-19.
Methods: This longitudinal observational COVID-19 cohort study (March 1, 2020-March 1, 2021) was carried out on patients ≥ 18 years old who were admitted to the University Hospitals of Pisa, Siena and Careggi and the Azienda USL Toscana Nord Ovest, Sud Est and USL Centro Toscana and were subjected to follow-up. Follow-up was conducted between 0 day and 89 days, 90 days and 179 days, 180 days and 269 days, 270 days and 359 days, and more than 360 days after hospitalization.
Results: Of 2887 patients (58.5% males, average age 66.2 years) hospitalized in the study period (March 1, 2020-March 1, 2021) carrying out at least one follow-up examination within 12 months of discharge, a total of 1739 patients (705 males, average age 66 years) underwent laboratory tests, of whom 714 patients (470 males, average age 63 years) underwent spirometry. Some laboratory test results remained above the threshold even at follow-up beyond 360 days (C-reactive protein: 36%, fibrin degradation fragment: 48.8%, gamma-glutamyl transferase: 16.8%), while others showed a return to normal range more quickly in almost all patients. Alterations in liver enzymes, hematocrit, hemoglobin, lymphocytes and neutrophils were associated with the risk of requiring oxygen therapy or forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity alterations at follow-up.
Conclusion: Alterations in liver enzymes, hematocrit or hemoglobin, lymphocytes and neutrophils were associated with risk outcomes (need for oxygen therapy or spirometry alterations). These imbalanced conditions may contribute to pulmonary dysfunction.
Keywords: Fibrin degradation fragment; Gamma-glutamyl transferase; Long COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Spirometry; Transaminases.