TABLE 5.

Laboratory findings of patients before and after treatment (analysed by repeated measures ANOVA)

	Before treatment		After treatment (day 3)				After treatment (discharge or death)
	Methylprednisolone	Standard care	Methylprednisolone	p-value	Standard care	p-value	Methylprednisolone	p-value	Standard care	p-value
WBC count ×103 mg·L−1	7.7±3.3	7.4±4.6	9.5±3.8	0.008*	8.1±4.6	0.36	10.5±4.9	0.002*	9.6±5.6	0.03*
Lymphocyte count mg·L−1	1167±580	1171±632	804±345	<0.001*	1212±689	0.95	1085±667	0.77	1315±813	0.72
Haemoglobin g·dL−1	13.0±1.7	14.7±6.0	12.1±2.1	0.007*	15.0±7.8	0.79	12.6±1.7	0.59	10.7±1.8	0.13
Platelet count ×103 mg·L−1	204±70	241±140	271±93	<0.001*	243±82	0.87	252±90	0.02*	193±127	0.88
VBG analysis
pH	7.42±0.05	7.39±0.03	7.42±0.04	0.40	7.40±0.10	0.88	7.40±0.08	0.35	7.40±0.08	0.06
HCO3 mEq·L−1	25.5±4.7	22.9±6.4	26.4±4.6	0.73	27.4±1.6	0.011*	27.4±8.9	0.48	31.3±4.4	0.001*
PCO2 mmHg	39.7±11.1	35.4±8.1	40.9±10.7	0.85	50.8±16.2	0.017*	45.4±16.4	0.39	NA	NA
CRP mg·L−1	99.1±80.0	92.6±70.3	40.8±30.6	<0.001*	91.9±68.0	0.66	30.6±23.1	0.001*	77±83.0	0.20
ESR mm·h−1	64.2±27.1	57.4±32.8	50.9±35.3	0.11	57.0±33.6	0.86	55.7±22.6	0.09	80.0±25.7	0.77
IL-6 pg·mL−1	76.3±85.0	79.3±60.9	15.9±22.9	<0.001*	32.5±6.5	0.160	3.9±9.1	0.001*	NA	NA
D-dimer ng·mL−1	2573±2668	1391±1751	2155±1441	0.41	2131±2252	0.25	1762±830	0.16	NA	NA
Ferritin ng·mL−1	808±521	677±463	766±400	0.17	777±467	0.62	275±303	0.18	476±219	0.28
LDH U·L−1	672±286	645±179	897±558	0.74	706±453	0.91	633±153	0.49	NA	NA
CPK U·L−1	159±152	214±209	249±154	0.78	NA	NA	85±203	0.81	NA	NA

Data are presented as mean±sd, unless otherwise stated. WBC: white blood cell; VBG: venous blood gas; P_CO2: partial pressure of carbon dioxide; CRP: C-reactive protein; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; IL: interleukin; LDH: lactate dehydrogenase; CPK: creatine phosphokinase; NA: not available. *: p<0.05.