Lipid Profile Variations and Their Associations with Kidney Injury in Patients with COVID-19

Abstract

Background: COVID effects different people in different ways. Acute kidney injury and variations in lipid profile are frequent complications among patients hospitalized for Covid-19. Severely infected patients with Covid-19 have higher frequency of kidney injury and hypolipidemia, resulting in higher mortality rate.

Objectives: The current study was designed to explore variations in lipid profile and estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) in Covid-19 patients, and to evaluate the association of eGFR with lipid parameters in Covid-19 patients (confirmed cases) and healthy controls.

Methodology: This comparative cross sectional study was carried out at pathology lab of MACCA Diagnostic, Multan from Oct 2020 to Jan 2021. We enrolled 225 Covid-19 patients as test group and 225 healthy subjects (negative for Covid-19) as control group. Fasting blood samples of Covid-19 and control group were collected to test lipid profile and eGFR. Estimated GFR was calculated from the value of serum creatinine, age, gender and ethnicity of all participants by applying Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation.

Results: All parameters of lipid profile and eGFR were significantly lower in Covid-19 patients group than healthy control group, with p-value <0.0001. We found strong positive association between eGfR and serum High density lipoproteins (HDL) levels (r²= 0.57) in Covid-19 patients.

Conclusion: Hypolipidemia and decreased in eGFR were observed in Covid-19 patients, and extent of kidney injury (decrease in eGfR) was positively associated with serum HDL.