Vol. 49 | No. 1 | January-June 2021 Back

Open Access

Correlation of Cardiac Biomarkers with Computed Tomography Severity Score in Covid-19 Patients

Ramon Miguel Rivera, Lucky R. Cuenza, Tamara J. Razon-Cuenza, Jia An G. Bello
Jun 2021 DOI 10.69944/pjc.6f11cbbd51

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: A vast number of COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide since  the initial outbreak in China, and the disease has since become a global pandemic. Knowledge  on this predominantly respiratory illness is evolving with studies suggesting myocardial injury  reflected by elevated cardiac enzymes portending to more severe disease. CT scoring indices  provide visual, semi-quantitative assessment of lung involvement and have aided in determining  extent of COVID-19 pneumonia but, none have been validated for prognostication. Establishing a  relationship between these non-invasive diagnostic parameters could provide timely identification  and proper allocation of limited medical resources to patients in need of more aggressive therapy. 

METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 50 COVID-19 patients were retrospectively enrolled and  their clinical parameters collected from an electronic medical database. There was a total of 31  patients with troponin I-HS with chest CT scan done and another 42 patients for NT-proBNP  and chest CT. The levels of both cardiac biomarkers in patients with clinically severe COVID  pneumonia were higher than those with mild and moderate disease. Rank-order analysis showed  that both troponin I-HS (moderate, p=0.0003174) and NT-proBNP (moderate, p=0.006255)  correlated positively with CT severity scores. Furthermore, there is a significant relationship  between mortality and septic shock with both Troponin I-HS (p<0.001; p=0.002) and NT-proBNP  (p=0.004; p=0.031). 

CONCLUSION: The cardiac markers troponin I-HS and NT-proBNP increased significantly at  more severe CT scores and more notably, these biomarkers predicted the development of septic  shock and mortality in COVID-19 pneumonia. 

KEYWORDS: Cardiac Biomarkers, Chest CT, COVID-19, CT Severity, NT-proBNP, Troponin I

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