Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of COVID-19 patients, stratified by MAFLD status at hospital admission.
| Without MAFLD (n = 121) | With MAFLD (n = 46) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | |||
| Age, years | 49.9 ± 13.2 | 47.7 ± 13.9 | 0.343 |
| Male sex, n (%) | 52 (43.0%) | 19 (41.3%) | 0.845 |
| Coexisting disorders | |||
| Type 2 diabetes, n (%) | 15 (12.4%) | 10 (21.7%) | 0.131 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 22 (18.2%) | 13 (28.3%) | 0.153 |
| BMI ≥23 kg/m2, n (%) | 75 (62.5%) | 40 (87.0%) | 0.002 |
| Dyslipidemia, n (%) | 85 (70.2%) | 43 (93.5%) | 0.002 |
| Laboratory parameters | |||
| WBC, x109/L | 4.8 (3.9–6.5) | 5.0 (4.3–6.7) | 0.458 |
| Lymphocyte count, x109/L | 1.1 (0.8–1.4) | 1.2 (0.9–1.6) | 0.208 |
| NLR | 2.8 (1.8–4.9) | 2.5 (1.7–3.6) | 0.282 |
| C-reactive protein, mg/L | 11.5 (2.3–29.8) | 17.2 (4.2–41.0) | 0.122 |
| Procalcitonin, ng/mL | 0.03 (0.01–0.05) | 0.03 (0.01–0.06) | 0.474 |
| D-dimer, mg/L | 0.28 (0.14–0.66) | 0.36 (0.20–0.59) | 0.702 |
| ALT, U/L | 21.0 (15.0–31.0) | 26.0 (20.0–39.8) | 0.024 |
| AST, U/L | 22.0 (17.0–29.0) | 27.0 (20.2–34.8) | 0.028 |
| GGT, U/L | 24.0 (16.0–39.0) | 31.0 (21.2–50.0) | 0.037 |
| TBIL, μmol/L | 10.0 (6.6–14.0) | 10.2 (7.5–14.0) | 0.395 |
| Cytokines | |||
| IL-2, pg/mL | 0.9 (0.6–1.4) | 0.8 (0.5–1.4) | 0.670 |
| IL-4, pg/mL | 1.3 (1.0–2.1) | 1.0 (1.0–2.0) | 0.518 |
| IL-6, pg/mL | 4.8 (2.6–11.6) | 7.1 (4.3–20.0) | 0.030 |
| IL-10, pg/mL | 2.6 (1.0–4.5) | 3.6 (1.0–5.5) | 0.251 |
| TNF-α, pg/mL | 1.1 (0.9–1.5) | 1.0 (0.9–1.5) | 0.306 |
| IFN-γ, pg/mL | 1.0 (1.0–1.6) | 1.0 (0.9–1.9) | 0.790 |
| Time from symptom onset to hospital admission, days | 9.0 (4.5–13.0) | 7.0 (4.0–11.3) | 0.267 |
| Severe COVID-19, n (%) | 19 (15.7%) | 13 (28.3%) | 0.065 |
Data are expressed as means ± SD, medians (IQRs) and number (percentages).
ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate transaminase; BMI, body mass index; GGT, gamma glutamyl-transpeptidase; IFN-γ, interferon gamma; IL, interleukin; MAFLD, metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease; NLR, Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; TBIL, total bilirubin; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor-α; WBC, white blood cell.
Bold values represent statistical significant P values.