Table 3.
Changes in clinical and laboratory parameters from baseline to end of therapy (EOT) between the two groups of COVID-19 patients
| Parameter | Control group | Intervention (TPE) group | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before therapy (n = 44) | EOT (n = 39) a | Before therapy (n = 43) | EOT (n = 34) a | |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 98.5 (85–113.5) | 116 (105–127)* | 92 (80–104) | 118 (107–129)* |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 50 (39–69) | 66 (43–73)* | 52 (40–64) | 66.0 (50–82)* |
| Noradrenaline infusion dose (μg/kg/h) | 1 (0.7–1.2) | 0* | 1 (0.8–1.2) | 0* |
| PaO2/FiO2 ratio | 125 (75.5–174.5) | 255 (205–315)* | 135 (72–198) | 300 (220–380)* |
| SOFA score | 9 (6–12) | 4.5 (3.5–5.5)* | 10 (7–13) | 2 (1–3)* |
| Lymphocytes (109/L) (normal range, 1.1–3.2) | 0.6 (0.2–1) | 0.7 (0.3–1.1)* | 0.5 (0.2–0.7) | 1.0 (0.6–1.4)* |
| ADAMTS-13 activity (%) (normal range, 53–205) | 37 (26–57) | 32 (22–48)* | 17 (6–38) | 42 (29–56)* |
| Serum lactate (mmol/L) (normal range, 1.0–2.5) | 4 (1–7) | 1.65 (1.15–2.7)* | 5 (2–8) | 1.5 (1–2)* |
| Total bilirubin (μmol/L) (normal range, 0–26) | 33.5 (20.2–38.8) | 23 (14–29)* | 33 (23–39) | 22 (19–25)* |
| C-reactive protein (mg/L) (normal range, 0–5) | 234 (109–359) | 78 (31–135)* | 246 (157–356) | 45 (11–99)* |
| Lactate dehydrogenase (U/L) (normal range, 100–190) | 378 (100–656) | 343 (103–676)* | 876 (546–1206) | 236 (106–547)* |
| Ferritin (ng/mL) (normal range, 23–336) | 320 (75–675) | 287 (106–468) | 987 (319–1655) | 299 (146–655)* |
| d-dimers (μg/mL) (normal values, <1) | 2.5 (1.4–4.6) | 0.95 (0.6–3.2)* | 4.9 (2.9–7.9) | 0.9 (0.5–1.4)* |
| Interleukin-6 (pg/mL) (normal range, 1–7) | 122.5 (48.7–262.8) | 27.0 (17–144)* | 458 (225–1091 | 35 (18–112)* |
NOTE: Values are the median and interquartile range.
TPE, therapeutic plasma exchange; ICU, intensive care unit; PaO2/FiO2, partial arterial pressure of oxygen/fractional inspired concentration of oxygen; SOFA, Sequential Organ Function Assessment.
a
Survivors at EOT (Day 35 post ICU admission).
⁎
P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant by Wilcoxon signed-rank test for non-parametric data within the two groups of patients before and after the completion of therapy.