Maghfirah AI, Esa T, Widaningsih Y and Bahrun U
Background: COVID-19 pandemic has become a global problem. One of parameters to assess the severity of COVID-19 disease was ferritin. Limited researches of ferritin with COVID-19 in Makassar.
Aim: Determine relationship between serum ferritin levels and severity of COVID-19.
Method: A cross-sectional by taking primary data of COVID-19 patients aged ≥ 18 years in 67 samples at Unhas Hospital Makassar in September 2020-May 2021. Pregnant women and have a history of chronic infection were excluded. Serum ferritin levels (ng/mL) were measured by the Enzyme Linked Fluorescent Assay (ELFA) method, mini VIDAS Biomerieux. Kruskal Wallis difference test and Spearman correlation test were performed. ROC curve to determine the cut-off point.
Results: Total of 67 confirmed COVID-19 patients aged 18-63 years, with highest number being women (53.7%). Total of 27(40.3%) had comorbidities. COVID-19 patients at mild (53.7%), moderate (23.9%), and severe (22.4%). There is significant difference between serum ferritin levels and severity of COVID-19(p<0.001). Ferritin levels were also strongly positively correlated with severity of COVID-19 (r=0.754, p<0.001). Cut-off ferritin at mild-moderate patients=153.89 ng/mL, and cut-off ferritin at mortality=1145.54 ng/mL.
Discussion: Ferritin is a major mediator of immune deregulation. Ferritin contributes cytokine storms. So serum ferritin levels can be used as a predictor severity of COVID-19.
Conclusion: Serum ferritin levels correlated with severity of COVID-19. Ferritin cut-off at mild to moderate severity of COVID-19=153.89 ng/mL and ferritin cut-off at mortality=1145.54 ng/mL. Ferritin levels in COVID-19 patients who have comorbidities show varying values at mild severity.