Immune Cells Quantitative Abnormalities Associated with Symptomatic COVID-19

Abstract

COVID-19 spread to countries around the world. It is essential to set up suspected biomarkers for rapid management of the disease. This study aimed to determine quantitative abnormalities of peripheral blood immune cells associated with COVID-19 and establish those associated with the severity of COVID-19 in Togo. In a retrospective analytical study from May to September 2022; 851 symptomatic and 194 asymptomatic COVID-19 patients medical records were recovered. Their complete blood count data were analyzed using Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analysis. Symptomatic COVID-19 patients had low and high platelets count, high white blood count, high neutrophils, low and high lymphocytes count and high eosinophils count compared to asymptomatic ones (p < 0.0001). Complete blood count anomalies as low platelets count [OR = 2.75; 95% CI (1.55-4.88)] or high platelets count [OR = 3.12; 95% CI (1.23-7.91)], high neutrophils count [OR = 9.91; 95% CI (4.81-20.45)] and low lymphocytes count [OR = 3.83; 95% CI (2.20-6.65)] were associated with COVID-19 severity. Low or high platelets count, high neutrophils count, low lymphocytes were associated with severe COVID-19. It is important to consider immune cells profile for the diagnosis and follow-up of COVID-19 patients in Togo.