RESULTS
A total of 1378 patients, 687 of them mild and 691 of them severe, were
included in the study. 678 of patients (%49.2) were women; 700 of
patients were male. There were significant difference between mild and
severe COVID-19 patients in terms of laboratory parameters. Kidney
failure, diabetes mellitus, ischemic hepatitis, sepsis were clearly
higher in patients with severe COVID-19. Amylase and lipase levels were
also higher in patients with severe COVID-19. (Table 1)
Amylase elevation at different levels occured in 316 (%23) of 1378
patients with COVID-19. There were amylase elevations in 261 patients as
much 1-3 times than normal and in 55 (%4) patients 3 times more than
normal. Pancreatitis was detected in only 6 (%1.89) of these patients
according to Atlanta criteria. Amylase and lipase elevation was found to
related to severity of COVID-19 infection in the rest of all patients.
And also diabetes mellitus, kidney failure, hypotension, ischemic
hepatitis was found to related to mortality from COVID-19 infection.
There were no relation between lymphopenia and elevated amylase levels.
(Table-2) Those older than 65 years were more likely to have (1,89
times) elevated increased enzyme levels during the examination of causes
of amylase and lipase elevation in COVID infection.
In addition, the rate of elevated amylase levels was 2.04 times higher
in men than in women. In particular, hypotension (OR:6,63), sepsis
(OR:6,20), ischemia related liver damage (OR:6,63) and renal failure
(OR:5,18) were found to be significantly associated with pancreatic
enzyme levels. (Table-3) There was a weak correlation between amylase
level, age and gender in patients with Covid-19. Likewise, the presence
of DM showed a weak but statistically significant correlation with the
amylase level. The strongest correlation with the level of amylase was
found to be related to the severity of Covid-19. Especially the presence
of liver damage, renal failure, hypotension and MODS in these patients
were correlated with amylase level. (Figure-1)