Eosinopenia in COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Analysis

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic role of eosinophils count in COVID-19 patients. Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients admitted to our hospital with suspicion of COVID-19. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected on admission. Eosinopenia was defined as eosinophils < 100 cells/mm3. The outcomes of this study were the association between eosinophils count on admission and positive real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) test and with suggestive chest computerized tomography (CT) of COVID-19 pneumonia. Results: A total of 174 patients was studied. Of those, 54% had positive rRT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2. A chest CT-scan was performed in 145 patients; 71% showed suggestive findings of COVID-19. Eosinophils on admission had a high predictive accuracy for positive rRT-PCR and suggestive chest CT-scan (area under the receiver operating characteristic—ROC curve, 0.84 (95% CIs 0.78–0.90) and 0.84 (95% CIs 0.77–0.91), respectively). Eosinopenia and high LDH were independent predictors of positive rRT-PCR, whereas eosinopenia, high body mass index and hypertension were predictors for suggestive CT-scan findings. Conclusions: Eosinopenia on admission could predict positive rRT-PCR test or suggestive chest CT-scan for COVID-19. This laboratory finding could help to identify patients at high-risk of COVID-19 in the setting where gold standard diagnostic methods are not available.

Blood cell differential count discretisation modelling to predict survival in adults reporting to the emergency room: a retrospective cohort study

“…Eosinopenia was reported as a marker of poor outcome in lung disease27 and critically ill patients 28. Absolute eosinopenia was associated with clinically poor outcomes in first-wave COVID-19 pneumonia 7 29. In experimental rabbit models, lymphocytes are redistributed from peripheral blood to lymphatic tissue after cortisol administration, for instance, following major surgery.…”

Blood cell differential count discretization methods to predict survival in acutely ill adults reporting to the emergency room: a retrospective cohort study in 2020

“…Eosinopenia was reported as a marker of poor outcome in lung disease[27] and critically ill patients[28]. Absolute eosinopenia was associated with clinically poor outcomes in firstwave COVID-19 pneumonia[7, 29].…”

A study to evaluate the role of eosinophil count as a prognostic marker for assessing the outcome in patients with COVID-19 infection

“…Normal AEC was defined as a count of 100–400 cells/mm 3 . Eosinopenia was defined as an AEC <100 cells/mm 3 [ 11 ] and was confirmed by the peripheral smear examination. The patients with eosinopenia were further subdivided into three quartiles of AEC (AEC 0, 1–50, 51–100) for subgroup analysis.…”

“…[ 7 ] The importance of eosinophil response in COVID-19 also can be understood from the fact that bronchial asthma has not yet been identified as a major risk factor for the severity of SARS-CoV-1 infections though, at the beginning of pandemic, they were thought to be highly vulnerable group. [ 8 ] There are studies that have used eosinopenia as a marker adding to specificity in the diagnosis of COVID-19 in a fever clinic compared to a non-COVID illness,[ 9 10 11 ] whereas the literature is scanty regarding the prognostic significance of eosinopenia in predicting the severity of COVID-19 from large hospital data focusing on triage of patients, especially from the low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). [ 12 ] In the management of COVID-19, initial triaging of the patients is of paramount importance to plan the next line of management.…”