Procalcitonin, but not D-dimer, is an Inapplicable Biomarker for Severe COVID-19

Abstract

Pro-calcitonin and D-dimer are among predictive biomarkers for the severity and mortality of COVID-19. The application of these parameters in the clinical setting of Indonesian hospitals is less documented. This study aims to evaluate the association between procalcitonin and D-dimer with COVID-19. This research is part of a retrospective study evaluating 249 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Bandung, Indonesia. Patients who were positive for procalcitonin or D-dimer were selected. Clinical data of age, sex, comorbid condition, peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2), and death were assessed. There were 39 and 28 patients tested for procalcitonin and D-dimer respectively. The level of procalcitonin was not associate with the severity of COVID-19 (p=0.442), death (p=0.506), comorbid condition (p=0.601) or the use of the antibiotics. However, the level of D-dimer in patients with severe COVID-19 was significantly higher than those with non-severe COVID-19 (p=0.0468). Our study shows that procalcitonin levels are not associated with COVID-19. However, D-dimer is associated with the severity of COVID-19. Keywords: COVID-19, D-dimer, procalcitonin, severity