Pneumology Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 200349 Craiova, Romania.
Pneumology Department, Victor Babes University Hospital Craiova, 200515 Craiova, Romania.
Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Dec 28;25(1):418. doi: 10.3390/ijms25010418.
In Romania, the highest incidence of tuberculosis (TB) within the European Union was reported in 2020, highlighting a significant health challenge. This is compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has severely impacted healthcare services, including TB management. Both TB and COVID-19, diseases with considerable morbidity and mortality, have shown potential links to electrolyte imbalances. We conducted a prospective study at Victor Babes Hospital, Romania on 146 patients (74 with TB, 72 with COVID-19) between December 2021 and July 2023. This study assessed correlations between disease severity and serum calcium and magnesium levels, as well as pulmonary function. Adult patients with confirmed diagnoses and comprehensive medical records were included, excluding those with chronic respiratory diseases or unrelated electrolyte imbalances. Statistical analysis utilized the Kruskal-Wallis test and Dunn's procedure for non-normally distributed data. Low serum calcium and magnesium levels were significantly correlated with severe forms of TB and COVID-19, suggesting their potential as biomarkers of disease progression. Patients with more severe TB (i.e., multiple cavities) exhibited significantly lower serum calcium ( = 0.0049) and magnesium levels ( = 0.0004). ROC analysis revealed high AUC values for serum calcium and serum magnesium in predicting COVID-19 severity, indicating their potential as biomarkers. This study demonstrates a significant association between lower serum calcium and magnesium levels and increased TB severity. Similarly, these electrolytes show promise as predictive markers for COVID-19 severity. These findings could serve as biomarkers for predicting the severity of TB and COVID-19, offering potential utility in clinical decision-making.
在罗马尼亚，2020 年报告的结核病（TB）发病率在欧盟中最高，这突显了一个重大的健康挑战。这一情况因 COVID-19 大流行而恶化，该大流行严重影响了医疗保健服务，包括结核病管理。结核病和 COVID-19 这两种疾病都具有相当高的发病率和死亡率，它们都显示出与电解质失衡有潜在关联。我们在罗马尼亚的 Victor Babes 医院进行了一项前瞻性研究，纳入了 2021 年 12 月至 2023 年 7 月期间的 146 名患者（74 名结核病患者，72 名 COVID-19 患者）。该研究评估了疾病严重程度与血清钙和镁水平以及肺功能之间的相关性。纳入了确诊且有完整病历的成年患者，排除了患有慢性呼吸道疾病或与电解质失衡无关的患者。统计分析采用 Kruskal-Wallis 检验和 Dunn 检验程序进行非正态分布数据的分析。低血清钙和镁水平与严重的结核病和 COVID-19 显著相关，表明它们可能是疾病进展的生物标志物。患有更严重结核病（即多个空洞）的患者血清钙（ = 0.0049）和镁水平（ = 0.0004）明显降低。ROC 分析显示血清钙和血清镁对 COVID-19 严重程度的预测具有较高的 AUC 值，表明它们具有作为生物标志物的潜力。本研究表明，低血清钙和镁水平与结核病严重程度增加之间存在显著关联。同样，这些电解质作为 COVID-19 严重程度的预测标志物具有潜力。这些发现可作为预测结核病和 COVID-19 严重程度的生物标志物，为临床决策提供潜在的应用价值。
