Table 2.
Comparison of lymphocyte percentage, absolute lymphocyte count, and atypical lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids between COVID-19 patients and non-COVID-19 patients.
| BAL lymphocyte findingsa | COVID-19 groupb (n = 83) | Non-COVID-19 groupb (n = 70) | Statistical analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lymphocyte percentagea | n = 83 | n = 69 | |
| Highest count | 25.0 | 3.0 | P < 0.001 |
| Median count | 16.0 | 3.0 | P < 0.001 |
| Lymphocyte absolute count (k/μl)a | n = 83 | n = 67 | |
| Highest count | 70.0 | 12.3 | p < 0.001 |
| Median count | 39.4 | 8.7 | p < 0.001 |
| Patients with highest BAL lymphocyte count ≥ 15% | 62/83 (74.7%) | 9/69 (13.0%) | p < 0.001c |
| 15–29% | 28/62 | 5/9 | |
| 30–49% | 21/62 | 4/9 | |
| >50% | 13/62 | 0 | |
| Patients with atypical lymphocytes in BAL | 60/83 (72.3%) | 6/70 (8.6%) | p < 0.001c |
| Occasional (0.5–4 cells per 20) | 26/60 | 6/6 | |
| Moderate (5–9 cells per 20 ×) | 11/60 | 0 | |
| Frequent (10–49 cells per 20 ×) | 17/60 | 0 | |
| Abundant (≥50 cells per 20 ×) | 6/60 | 0 |
a
The statistical analyses were at the individual patient-specific level with two approaches using individual patient’s highest and median values of consecutive BAL samples submitted for cell count and differential during their hospital stay.
b
The values of lymphocyte percentage and absolute count in the column represent median values derived from patients in the group.
c
Pearson’s Chi-squared test with Yates’ correction and Fisher’s exact test were used for statistical analysis. The remaining analyses were based on nonparametric Wilcoxon two-sample rank test.