ÇOCUKLARDA SARS-COV-2 ENFEKSİYONUNDA İMMÜNOGLOBULİNLER HASTALIK ŞİDDETİ VE HASTANEDE YATIŞ SÜRESİNE ETKİLİ MİYDİ ?

OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether immunoglobulin levels on admission are associated with disease severity, time to negativization of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test, and length of hospital stay in children with severe illness requiring hospitalization. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-four pediatric patients hospitalized and treated for COVID-19 were included. The patients were divided into two groups as those with mild-to-moderate (n=35) and those with severe disease (n=9) for ease of evaluation. The relationship of immunoglobulin levels with disease severity, time to SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test negativization and length of hospital stay was examined. RESULTS: The study population had a median (min-max) age of 13 (1-18) years and consisted of 25 (56.8%) girls and 19 (43.2%) boys. IgG levels were normal in 89.2% (n=33) and elevated in 5.7% (n=2) of the children with mild-to-moderate disease. Among patients with severe disease, IgG levels were normal in 44.4% (n=4) and elevated in 55.6% (n=5). A significant difference was found between the groups in terms of IgG levels (p=0.002). When the relationship of IgG level with length of hospital stay and time to SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test negativization was investigated, no significant correlation was observed between time to SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test negativization and Ig G level (p=0.096, z=1.667). However, the length of hospital stay was significantly longer in patients with elevated IgG levels (p=0.096, p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Higher-than-normal endogenous IgG levels may be independently associated with the development of severe illness and prolonged hospital stay in children hospitalized for COVID-19.