In the stage of disease progression, there were significantly higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) (78 (28–134) versus 15 (7–36), in mg/L, p = 0.042) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (195 (127–280) versus 12 (4–18), in pg/ml, p < 0.001), but lower levels of CD8+ subpopulation T cells (33 (23–135) versus 273 (122–377), cells/μl, p = 0.016) in non-surviving patients as compared with the patients survived (Table 1b ). Furthermore, in surviving patients, increases in levels of high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) were significantly associated with the disease severity (pre-infection: 1.2 (0.7–5.9); on admission: 11 (5.9–26), p < 0.02; progression: 9.8 (5.3–45); discharge: 2.2 (1.2–7.0), in mg/L) (Supplementary Table S1). The number of lymphocytes (LY) decreased significantly at the time of admission as compared with before infection; it did not show a full recovery at the time of discharge (pre-infection: 1.6 (1.4–2.2); on admission: 1.0 (0.8–1.5), p < 0.02; progression: 0.9 (0.5–1.4); discharge: 1.2 (0.8–1.9), in x109/L) (Supplementary Table S1). In patients did not survive, there was a continuous increase in hsCRP level or lymphopenia until death (Supplementary Table S1).
Table 1b Laboratory tests for COVID-19 patients during the stage of disease progression.
Laboratory tests Reference value No. (%)
Total (n = 21) Survival (n = 17) Non-survival(n = 4) p
IL-6 (pg/ml) 0.1–2.9 15 (8–79, 19) 12 (4–18, 15) 195 (127–280, 4) <0.001
CRP (mg/L) <4 20 (7–45, 21) 15 (7–36, 17) 78 (28–134, 4) 0.042
CD3+ (cells/μl) 805 to 4459 562 (203–939, 19) 680 (303–945, 15) 232 (129–340, 4) 0.062
CD4+ (cells/μl) 345 to 2350 297 (135–557, 19) 416 (172–557, 15) 168 (108–250, 4) 0.121
CD8+ (cells/μl) 345 to 2350 166 (50–336, 19) 273 (122–377, 15) 33 (23–135, 4) 0.016
CD4+/CD8+ ratio 0.96–2.05 1.7 (1.2–3.1, 19) 1.6 (1.3–2.4, 15) 5.0 (2.0–6.2, 4) 0.079
CD19+ (cells/μl) 240 to 1317 104 (49–174, 19) 104 (49–236, 15) 84 (34–134, 4) 0.650
CD16+/CD56+ (cells/μl) 210 to 1514 164 (49–252, 19) 168 (106–252, 15) 33 (10–223, 4) 0.124
P value is compared the group that survived with the group that did not survive by a Mann-Whitney U test. Data is presented as median (IQR, n).