Chest radiography findings and hematological values: Early findings on COVID-19 patients from Turkey

Objective:To investigate the chest radiography findings,hematological values and the risk factors of the mortality of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).Methods:Patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 in a secondary-level state hospital in Turkey from March to April 2020 were included in the study.COVID-19 diagnosis was confirmed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.Initial routine blood tests and chest radiography findings were examined.The relationship between chest radiography findings and hematological values and risk factors of the mortality of COVID-19 were assessed.Results:In total,94 patients with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis were included in the study.Among them,33 patients did not have lung involvement(RALE score of 0),and 42 had moderate lung involvement(RALE score of 1 to 4),and 19 had severe lung involvement(RALE score of 5 to 8).Patients with higher RALE scores were significantly elder(P=0.000)and had significantly lower lymphocyte count(P=0.032).Patients in need of intensive care had a lower mean number of platelets compared to patients who did not require intensive care(P=0.007).The receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that RALE score(P=0.005),age(P=0.002),duration of symptoms(P=0.006),neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio(P=0.007),and lymphocyte percentage(P=0.012)were significantly associated with the risk of mortality.Conclusions:Patients with severe lung involvement have lower lymphocyte values and ratios.Age,RALE score,duration of symptoms,neutrophils/lymphocytes ratio,lymphocytes percentage are risk factors of mortality of COVID-19.

Platelet aggregation responses in type 2 diabetic patients

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with platelet dysfunction. In diabetic patients, alterations in platelet functions, especially increased platelet agregation, have been suggested to cause increasing in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality or in accelaretion of athersclerotic process. In this study, we aimed to investigate the platelet aggregation response alterations and the effects of DM duration, HbA1c, treatment options among the patients with Type 2 DM. Fortyfive patients (case group;21 male, 24 female) with Type 2 DM and forty-eight healthy individuals (control group;22 male, 26 female) were included in this study. Platelet aggregation was determinated with Chorono-log 500 (USA) named device by using Chorono-log/ADP, Chorono-log/ collagen and Chorono-log/epinephrine kits. ADP-induced platelet aggregation was significantly higher in the case group compared with control group (p 【0.05). Epinephrine induced platelet aggregation were significant in negatively correlation with the diabetes duration (P 【0.05). Platelet aggregation responses did not differ according to their treatment type (sulphonylurea or insulin) was statistically insignificiant among the case groups (p 】0.05). In conclusion, our findings supported that type 2 diabetes may interfere with platelet functions without any relationship age, gender, the treatment types and the regulation levels. These findings supports that existence potential new factors or mechanism affecting platelet agregation. The subject requires more detailed studies in the future.