SELECTED LABORATORY PARAMETERS IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH COVID-19 STRATIFIED BY WHITE BLOOD CELL AND PLATELET PROFILES.
Pediatric COVID-19 generally has a milder clinical course than adult disease, although hematological, inflammatory, hepatic, coagulation-related, and renal laboratory abnormalities may accompany infection. White blood cell (WBC) and platelet (PLT) counts are routinely available hematological measures; however, the relationship between combined WBC/PLT profiles and broader laboratory patterns in pediatric COVID-19 remains incompletely characterized. This study aimed to compare selected laboratory parameters among pediatric patients with COVID-19, stratified according to predefined WBC and platelet profiles.
This retrospective, laboratory-based comparative study included 142 pediatric patients with RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 from the Adjara region of Georgia between 2020 and 2021. Patients were classified as WBC+PLT-N/CT (reference; n=94), WBC+PLT-H (n=16), WBC-H (n=3), or PLT-H (n=29). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, ferritin, and creatinine were evaluated. The WBC+PLT-H and PLT-H groups were compared separately with the reference group using two-sided independent-samples Welch's t-tests. The WBC-H subgroup was analyzed descriptively because of its very small size. Analyses were exploratory and were not adjusted for age or multiple comparisons.
The overall mean age was 5.71±5.36 years, with both platelet-elevated groups being younger on average than the reference group. Compared with the reference group, the WBC+PLT-H group had higher CRP (16.71±9.17 vs 11.38±6.98 mg/L; p=0.0396) and lower creatinine (58.93±10.20 vs 68.09±15.91 µmol/L; p=0.0052). The PLT-H group had higher ALT (27.29±22.37 vs 18.60±6.65 U/L; p=0.0479). No other comparison met the nominal p<0.05 threshold.
Combined WBC/platelet profiles were associated with different laboratory patterns in pediatric COVID-19. These exploratory findings warrant confirmation in larger pediatric cohorts using appropriately age-adjusted analyses.
This retrospective, laboratory-based comparative study included 142 pediatric patients with RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 from the Adjara region of Georgia between 2020 and 2021. Patients were classified as WBC+PLT-N/CT (reference; n=94), WBC+PLT-H (n=16), WBC-H (n=3), or PLT-H (n=29). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, ferritin, and creatinine were evaluated. The WBC+PLT-H and PLT-H groups were compared separately with the reference group using two-sided independent-samples Welch's t-tests. The WBC-H subgroup was analyzed descriptively because of its very small size. Analyses were exploratory and were not adjusted for age or multiple comparisons.
The overall mean age was 5.71±5.36 years, with both platelet-elevated groups being younger on average than the reference group. Compared with the reference group, the WBC+PLT-H group had higher CRP (16.71±9.17 vs 11.38±6.98 mg/L; p=0.0396) and lower creatinine (58.93±10.20 vs 68.09±15.91 µmol/L; p=0.0052). The PLT-H group had higher ALT (27.29±22.37 vs 18.60±6.65 U/L; p=0.0479). No other comparison met the nominal p<0.05 threshold.
Combined WBC/platelet profiles were associated with different laboratory patterns in pediatric COVID-19. These exploratory findings warrant confirmation in larger pediatric cohorts using appropriately age-adjusted analyses.
Authors
Kobuladze Kobuladze, Nishanthan Nishanthan, Kedelidze Kedelidze, Vadatchkoria Vadatchkoria, Davitashvili Davitashvili, Zuroshvili Zuroshvili, Margalitashvili Margalitashvili, Gvarishvili Gvarishvili, Turmanidze Turmanidze, Peshkova Peshkova, Chauhan Chauhan, Gogitidze Gogitidze, Shaikh Shaikh, Shaikh Shaikh, Nishanthan Nishanthan, Nakashidze Nakashidze
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