Title:Relation Between Monocyte-to-lymphocyte Ratio and Depressive
Symptoms in Patients with Non-severe COVID-19 Infection
Volume: 20
Issue: 4
Author(s): Doaa Ibrahim, Shaymaa Mohammed Arafa, Eman Mostafa Moazen*, Fatima Gaber Yehia, Ahmed Mohamed Khalifa, Sara Sallam and Eman Ali
Affiliation:
- Department of
Chest, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
Keywords:
COVID-19, monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, depressive symptoms, dyspnea, depression, mental health.
Abstract:
Background and Aim: Mental health of non-hospitalized patients and those
with non-severe infections has attracted lower attention in comparison to other patients.
Circulating monocytes are deeply involved in all stages of COVID-19 infection. The present
study aimed to investigate the relationship between monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio
(MLR) and depressive symptoms in patients with non-severe COVID-19 infection.
Methods: The study included 312 patients with non-severe COVID-19 infection diagnosed
on the basis of a positive reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test of
nasopharyngeal swabs. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the validated Arabic
version of the 7-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD). According to the obtained
scores, patients were classified to have mild (10-13), moderate (14-17), or severe
depression (>17).
Results: The present study included 312 patients with non-severe COVID-19. According
to HAMDS, clinically significant depression was diagnosed in 144 patients (46.2 %). They
comprised 38 patients (12.2 %) with mild depression, 30 patients (9.6 %) with mild-tomoderate
depression and 76 patients (24.4 %) with moderate-to-severe depression. Multivariate
logistic regression analysis identified male sex [OR (95% CI): 2.07 (1.27-3.36), p =
0.003], presence of dyspnea [(OR (95 % CI): 1.99 (1.21-3.27), p = 0.007], D dimer levels
[OR (95% CI): 2.32 (1.19-4.52), p = 0.013], MLR [OR (95% CI): 0.52 (0.28-0.99), p =
0.046] and abnormal CT findings [OR (95% CI): 1.79 (1.08-2.95), p = 0.023] as significant
predictors of depression in the studied patients.
Conclusion: Low MLR is related to depressive symptoms in patients with non-severe
covid-19 infection. Other predictors include male sex, dyspnea, abnormal CT findings and
elevated D-dimer levels.
