American journal of translational research
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This study was designed to assess the levels of human serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to determine their prognostic value in predicting the severity of disease. Patients with COVID-19 who presented with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) shared distinct characteristics. For example, the patients were older, and had higher levels of inflammatory indicators [i.e., levels of CRP, SAA, procalcitonin (PCT), and interleukin-6; CRP-to-PCT ratio; SAA-to-CRP ratio; and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR)], higher inflammatory cell counts (i.e., white blood cell count and neutrophil count), and lower lymphocyte counts compared with patients without ARDS. ⋯ For patients with elevated levels of SAA but not CRP, a mild condition was predicted. For patients with elevated levels of both SAA and CRP, and a high NLR, a severe infection was predicted, requiring medical attention. Therefore, CRP and SAA levels demonstrate a prognostic value for predicting the severity of COVID-19.