AUTHOR=Kuri-Ayache Mauricio , Rivera-Cavazos Andrea , Pérez-Castillo María Fátima , Santos-Macías Juan Enrique , González-Cantú Arnulfo , Luviano-García José Antonio , Jaime-Villalón Diego , Gutierrez-González Dalia , Romero-Ibarguengoitia Maria Elena 

TITLE=Viral load and its relationship with the inflammatory response and clinical outcomes in hospitalization of patients with COVID-19

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1060840

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2022.1060840

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=Background: The values of viral load in COVID-19 disease have gained relevance, seeking to understand its prognostic value and its behavior in the course of the disease, although there have been no conclusive results. In this study we sought to analyze serum viral load as a predictor of clinical outcome of the disease, as well as its association with inflammatory markers.
Methods: An observational and retrospective study in a private hospital in North Mexico, patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were followed through clinical outcome, viral load measurement, sequencing of COVID-19 variants, quantification of inflammatory markers and lymphocyte subpopulations. For the analysis, multiple regression models were performed.
Results: We studied 105 patients [47 (SD 1.46) years old, 68.6% men]. After analysis with multiple regression models, there was an association between viral load at admission and vaccination schedule (𝞫-value=-0.279, p= 0.007), age (𝞫-value= 0.010, p = 0.050), lactate dehydrogenase (𝞫-value= 1.712, p= 0.004), D-dimer values at admission (𝞫-value= 0.847, p= 0.013) and subpopulation of B lymphocytes at admission (𝞫-value= -0.527, p= 0.042). There was no association with days of hospitalization, use of oxygen support, mechanical ventilation and mortality. Peak viral load (10 days after symptoms onset) was associated with peak IL-6 (𝞫-value= 0.470, p= 0.011). Peak viral load matched with peak procalcitonin and minimal lymphocyte values. The minimum value COVID-19 viral load was documented on day 12 after symptom onset; it matched with the minimum values of IL-6 and ferritin, and the peak of D-dimer.
Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 admission viral load is associated with vaccination status, and different inflammatory markers, however it doesn’t predict clinical outcome.