Table 1.
Baseline characteristics and clinical and laboratory features upon MERS-CoV diagnosis
| Variable | IFN-α (n = 13) | IFN-β (n = 11) | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years), median (IQR) | 65 (33–84) | 67 (25–88) | 0.96 |
| Male, n (%) | 10 (77) | 4 (36) | 0.045 |
| Diabetes mellitus, n (%) | 10 (77) | 5 (45) | 0.12 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 11 (85) | 7 (64) | 0.24 |
| Chronic renal impairmenta, n (%) | 7 (54) | 3 (27) | 0.19 |
| Renal failure on haemodialysis, n (%) | 4 (31) | 2 (18) | 0.41 |
| Low ejection fraction, n (%) | 5 (38) | 2 (18) | 0.26 |
| Recent hospital admission, n (%) | 6 (46) | 3 (27) | 0.7 |
| Healthcare worker, n (%) | 1 (7.7) | 4 (36) | 0.11 |
| Contact with camels, n (%) | 1 (7.7) | 2 (18) | 0.44 |
| Feverb, n (%) | 11 (85) | 8 (73) | 0.42 |
| Cough, n (%) | 11 (85) | 10 (91) | 0.57 |
| Sputum production, n (%) | 9 (69) | 8 (73) | 0.61 |
| Shortness of breath, n (%) | 12 (92) | 8 (73) | 0.11 |
| Diarrhoea, n (%) | 2 (15) | 1 (9) | 0.57 |
| Abdominal pain, n (%) | 0 (0) | 2 (18) | 0.2 |
| Confusion, n (%) | 0 (0) | 1 (9) | 0.46 |
| Vomiting, n (%) | 2 (15) | 2 (18) | 0.2 |
| Oxygen requirement (>2 L/min), n (%) | 5 (38) | 4 (36) | 0.24 |
| Mechanical ventilation, n (%) | 10 (77) | 6 (55) | 0.24 |
| Acute renal failure, n (%) | 5 (38) | 3 (27) | 0.67 |
| Laboratory variable | |||
| white blood cells (× 109 cells/L), median (IQR) | 7 (2.4–18.3) | 6.7 (2.9–21.8) | 0.65 |
| ANC (× 109 cells/L), median (IQR) | 5.7 (1.7–16.9) | 4.2 (2.1–16.2) | 0.57 |
| ANC nadir (× 109 cells/L), median (IQR) | 0.4 (0.1–2.53) | 0.6 (0.4–2.8) | 0.21 |
| ALC (× 109 cells/L), median (IQR) | 0.9 (0.5–6.9) | 0.7 (0.4–4.3) | 0.91 |
| ALC nadir (× 109 cells/L), median (IQR) | 0.4 (0.1–2.5) | 0.6 (0.4–2.8) | 0.21 |
| LDH (U/L), median (IQR) | 437 (150–1145) | 329 (170–4790) | 0.61 |
| C-reactive protein (mg/L), median (IQR) | 86.5 (25–226) | 80 (19.3–346) | 0.61 |
| bilirubin (µM), median (IQR) | 9 (1.5–243) | 6 (2.4–20) | 0.047 |
| ALT (U/L), median (IQR) | 23 (12–222) | 30 (20–881) | 0.15 |
| platelets (× 109 cells/L), median (IQR) | 169 (24–467) | 185 (96–323) | 0.46 |
| haemoglobin (g/dL), median (IQR) | 9.9 (7.1–14.1) | 10.9 (7.5–14.4) | 0.73 |
| creatinine (µM), median (IQR) | 111 (50–605) | 85 (44–631) | 0.57 |
| APACHE II score, median (IQR) | 18.0 (15.5–24) | 15.0 (3.0–20.0) | 0.15 |
| positive plasma MERS-CoV RT–PCR, n/n (%) | 5/11 (45) | 5/8 (63) | 0.65 |
ANC, absolute neutrophil count; ALC, absolute lymphocyte count; LDH, lactate dehydrogenase.
aCLCR <50 mL/min, calculated by MDRD formula.
bTemperature >38°C.