Table 1.
Comparison of the biochemical profiles, liver and thyroid function tests, and measurements of electrolyte statistics between recovered and PCC individuals
| Variables | Reference range | Recovered (n = 85) | PCC (n = 85) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biochemical profile | ||||
| Creatine kinase, ng/mL, median (IQR) | 0.6–6.3 | 1.60 (1.80) | 1.20 (1.30) | 0.001 |
| A1C, %, median (IQR) | <5.6 | 5.40 (0.40) | 5.30 (0.50) | 0.016 |
| Creatinine, mg/dL, median (IQR) | 0.67–117 | 0.69 (0.19) | 0.78 (0.18) | 0.001 |
| Cholesterol total, mg/dL, mean ± SD | 120–220 | 209.68 ± 46.74 | 223.41 ± 37.98 | 0.037 |
| Cholesterol no-HDL, mg/dL, mean ± SD | <130 | 146.23 ± 38.51 | 159.11 ± 35.98 | 0.026 |
| Albumin, g/dL, median (IQR) | 3.5–5.2 | 4.40 (0.40) | 4.50 (0.40) | 0.008 |
| Na +, mEq/L, median (IQR) | 136–146 | 140 (2) | 139 (3) | 0.003 |
| K +, mEq/L, median (IQR) | 3.5–5.1 | 4.40 (0.40) | 4.20 (0.40) | <0.001 |
| GFR, mL/min∗1.73mˆ2, median (IQR) | >90 | 102.61 (15.52) | 94.23 (18.77) | 0.002 |
| Antibody levels | ||||
| IgG total, pg/mL, median (IQR) | 650–1600 | 1150 (210) | 1007 (334) | 0.009 |
| IgG1, pg/mL, median (IQR) | 382.4–928.6 | 521.80 (232.90) | 453.85 (231.70) | 0.004 |
| IgE UI/mL, median (IQR) | 0–115 | 21.80 (793.61) | 41.150 (58.47) | 0.009 |
| Complement C3, mg/dL, median (IQR) | 79–152 | 94.80 (23.0) | 99.70 (26.2) | 0.014 |
| Complement C4, mg/dL, median (IQR) | 16–38 | 21.40 (6.50) | 25.00 (9.00) | 0.004 |
| αGAD, U/mL, median (IQR) | <17 | 5.33 (0.93) | 6.03 (1.09) | <0.001 |
| IGFBP3, μg/mL, mean ± SD | 3.2–6.6 | 5.64 ± 1.10 | 6.33 ± 1.24 | <0.001 |
| pANCA, u, mean ± SD | <20 | 3.31 ± 1.32 | 2.95 ± 0.52 | 0.020 |
| Blood count and coagulation test | ||||
| MCV, fL, median (IQR) | 80–100 | 88.90 (5.4) | 90.25 (5.0) | 0.029 |
| MCHC, g/dL, median (IQR) | 31–37 | 29.90 (2.2) | 30.2 (2.1) | 0.006 |
| ESR, mm/h, mean ± SD | <15 | 11.10 ± 9.05 | 14.41 ± 12.00 | 0.044 |
| INR, mean ± SD | 0.8–1.2 | 0.92 ± 0.05 | 0.94 ± 0.07 | 0.019 |
| Partial thromboplastin time, seg, mean ± SD | 24.8–37.2 | 29.74 ± 2.06 | 30.77 ± 2.72 | 0.006 |
| APTT ratio, mean ± SD | 0.8–1.2 | 0.95 ± 0.06 | 0.99 ± 0.08 | 0.008 |
| Prothrombin time, seg, median (IQR) | 9.5–14.3 | 11.10 (0.80) | 11.00 (1.40) | 0.047 |
| Fibrinogen, g/L, mean ± SD | 2–4 | 4.21 ± 0.86 | 4.57 ± 1.04 | 0.017 |
| Antithrombin III, %, mean ± SD | 80–120 | 97.03 ± 10.17 | 104.83 ± 15.86 | <0.001 |
| COVID-19 serology antibodies | ||||
| SARS-CoV-2 NC IgG positive, n (%) | 80 (94.12) | 68 (80) | 0.011 | |
| SARS-CoV-2 S1 IgG levels, pg/mL, mean ± SD | 1794.16 ± 645.09 | 1525.98 ± 828.61 | 0.020 | |
p value from χ2, Mann-Whitney’s U-test, or Student’s t test. Recovered: individuals who completely recovered within 3 months after acute COVID-19; PCC: individuals diagnosed with post-COVID-19 condition; A1c: glycohemoglobin; Na+: sodium; K+: potassium; GFR: glomerular filtration rate; Ig: immunoglobulin; αGAD: GAD antibody; IGFBP3: insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3; pANCA: perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody; MCV: mean corpuscular volume; MCHC: mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; INR: international normalized ratio; APTT: activated partial thromboplastin time; NC, nucleocapsid; S1, Spike; SD, standard deviation; IQR, interquartile range. The reference range includes each biomarker’s upper and lower limits based on a group of healthy people, indicated by the Miguel Servet University Hospital (Zaragoza, Spain).