[Comparison of serum biochemical features between SARS and other viral pneumonias].
OBJECTIVE
To identify blood chemistry changes in coronavirus of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).


METHODS
Biochemical changes in SARS patients were summarized and compared with other viral pneumonias. Serum total protein (TP), albumin (Alb), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), calcium (Ca), ferrum (Fe), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) between SARS and other viral pneumonias were examined by Roche Diagnostics assay, HITACHI7600 automatic analyzer. Clinically confirmed SARS patients, patients with other viral pneumonias, and healthy controls were included in the study.


RESULTS
Compared with healthy person, the levels of serum TC, Fe, Ca, Alb were significantly lowered (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while the activity of LDH, CK, ALT, AST were elevated, the increase of CK and the decrease of Fe were the most significant (P<0.05 or P<0.01), the changes of TP and TG were not obvious. In the other viral pneumonias patients, ALT, AST, LDH were elevated slightly than those of healthy person, while Fe, Ca, Alb, TC, CK were a little reduced, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. In convalescent stage, all the tests were returned to normal ranges except ALT, AST were still elevated in SARS patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The changes in serum biochemistry are more marked in SARS patients compared with patients suffering from other viral pneumonias, the decrease of Fe as well as the inhibition of TC may be caused by the treatment of anti-virus.
Song
Shu-Zhen
SZ
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, PLA General Hospital and Postgraduate Medical School, Beijing 100853, China. song0602@sohu.com
Liu
Hong-Ying
HY
Shen
Hong
H
Yuan
Bin
B
Dong
Zhen-Nan
ZN
Jia
Xing-Wang
XW
Tian
Ya-Ping
YP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000097:blood*
D002784:Cholesterol; D007501:Iron