Prognostic Value of Monocyte-to-High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio in COVID-19 Patients

Aims: A significant portion of individuals infected with COVID-19 experience severe illness and require intensive care. Especially in these cases, the disease may ultimately be fatal. Monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) has been reported to be a novel marker for major adverse outcomes in many diseases. In this study, we aimed to reveal the relationship of MHR with the prognostic markers of COVID-19 and its role in predicting the severity of disease and in-hospital mortality in COVID-19. Materials and Methods: This single-center, retrospective, and cross-sectional study included 195 hospitalized patients diagnosed with COVID-19. The patients who were discharged from the hospital formed the survivor group, whereas those who were deceased were categorized as the non-survivor group. Clinical and biochemical data of patients were retrospectively collected from medical records. Results: The age of the patients ranged from 19 to 92 years and the mean age was 57.0±16.3 years. Ninety-eight (50.3%) of the patients were female. Forty-one of the patients died during hospitalization due to COVID-19 and related complications. Median MHR was significantly higher in the non-survivor group than in the survivor group. MHR was significantly correlated with age, ferritin, uric acid, urea, and creatinine levels. Univariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated no significant association between MHR and in-hospital mortality (p=0.132). Conclusion: MHR is increased in COVID-19 survivors compared to non-survivors and correlates with age, ferritin, uric acid, urea, and creatinine levels. However, MHR cannot be used as a prognostic marker to predict the severity of the disease and in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients.