Routine Hematological Assessment: A Window to Endothelial Health in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients

Background: COVID-19 is associated with endothelial dysfunction and a hypercoagulable state that increases the risk of thrombotic complications.in our study we aim to investigate the correlation between routine hematological and coagulation parameters with circulating endothelial cells (CECs) and circulating endothelial progenitor cells (CEPs) in COVID-19 patients.
Methods: This study included Sixty adult COVID-19 patients and forty healthy controls. Complete blood counts, coagulation profile (PT, INR, PTT, fibrinogen, D-dimer), and flow cytometric analysis of CECs and CEPs were performed.
Results: The results showed that COVID-19 patients had significantly higher neutrophil counts, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, fibrinogen, D-dimer, CECs, and CEPs, while lymphocyte and platelet counts were significantly lower compared to controls. Strong positive correlations were observed between CECs/CEPs and markers of inflammation and coagulation.
Conclusion: In this study we reach to a conclusion that integrating endothelial biomarkers with routine laboratory tests provides valuable insight into endothelial injury and hypercoagulability in COVID-19 patients, supporting their role as potential predictors of thrombotic risk.