Iron metabolism and lymphocyte characterisation during Covid-19 infection in ICU patients: an observational cohort study

Background Iron metabolism and immune response to SARS-CoV-2 have not been described yet in intensive care patients, although they are likely involved in Covid-19 pathogenesis. Methods We performed an observational study during the peak of pandemic in our intensive care unit, dosing D-dimer, C-reactive protein, troponin T, lactate dehydrogenase, ferritin, serum iron, transferrin, transferrin saturation, transferrin soluble receptor, lymphocyte count and NK, CD3, CD4, CD8 and B subgroups of 31 patients during the first 2 weeks of their ICU stay. Correlation with mortality and severity at the time of admission was tested with the Spearman coefficient and Mann-Whitney test. Trends over time were tested with the Kruskal-Wallis analysis. Results Lymphopenia is severe and constant, with a nadir on day 2 of ICU stay (median 0.555 10(9)/L; interquartile range (IQR) 0.450 10(9)/L); all lymphocytic subgroups are dramatically reduced in critically ill patients, while CD4/CD8 ratio remains normal. Neither ferritin nor lymphocyte count follows significant trends in ICU patients. Transferrin saturation is extremely reduced at ICU admission (median 9%; IQR 7%), then significantly increases at days 3 to 6 (median 33%, IQR 26.5%,pvalue 0.026). The same trend is observed with serum iron levels (median 25.5 mu g/L, IQR 69 mu g/L at admission; median 73 mu g/L, IQR 56 mu g/L on days 3 to 6) without reaching statistical significance. Hyperferritinemia is constant during intensive care stay: however, its dosage might be helpful in individuating patients developing haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. D-dimer is elevated and progressively increases from admission (median 1319 mu g/L; IQR 1285 mu g/L) to days 3 to 6 (median 6820 mu g/L; IQR 6619 mu g/L), despite not reaching significant results. We describe trends of all the abovementioned parameters during ICU stay. Conclusions The description of iron metabolism and lymphocyte count in Covid-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit provided with this paper might allow a wider understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathophysiology.