AUTHOR=Jin Hui , He Junji , Dong Chuan , Li Bin , Ma Zhiyue , Li Bilan , Huang Tiande , Fan Jiangang , He Gang , Zhao Xiaolong 

TITLE=Altered Lipid Profile Is a Risk Factor for the Poor Progression of COVID-19: From Two Retrospective Cohorts

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2021.712530

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2021.712530

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=Background:
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread worldwide. However, the impact of baseline lipid profile on clinical endpoints in COVID-19 and the potential effect of COVID-19 on lipid profile remain unclear. 
Methods:
In this retrospective cohort study, we consecutively enrolled 430 adult COVID-19 patients from two Chinese hospitals (one each in Chengdu and Wuhan). The lipid profile before admission and during disease course, and clinical endpoint including in-hospital death or oropharyngeal swab test positive again (OSTPA) after discharge, were collected. We used Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression to explore the lipid risk factors before admission associated with endpoints. And then we assessed the lipid level change along with the disease course to determine relationship between pathology alteration and the lipid change.
Results: 
In Chengdu cohort, multivariable Cox regression showed that the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) dyslipidemia before admission was associated with the OSTPA after discharge for COVID-19 patients (RR: 2.51, 95% CI: 1.19, 5.29, p = 0.006). In Wuhan cohort, the patients with triglycerides (TG) dyslipidemia had an increased risk of in-hospital death (RR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.08, 3.60, p = 0.016). In addition, in both cohorts, the lipid levels gradually decreased in the in-hospital death or OSTPA subgroups since admission. On admission, we also noticed that the relationship between the biomarkers of inflammation and the organ function measures and this lipid level in both cohorts. For example, after adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities, smoking and drinking status, the C-reactive protein level was negatively associated with the TC lipid level (β [SE] = -0.646 [0.219], p = 0.005). However, an increased level of alanine aminotransferase, which indicates impaired hepatic function, was positively associated with TC lipid levels in the Chengdu cohort (β [SE] = 0.633 [0.229], p = 0.007). 
Conclusions:
The baseline dyslipidemia should be considered as a risk factor for poor prognosis of COVID-19. However, lipid levels may be altered during COVID-19 course, since lipidology may be distinctly affected by both inflammation and organic damage for SARS-CoV-2.