Cardiac markers of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) in COVID-19 patients: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: A meta-analysis of laboratory cardiac markers for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) was performed in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: Eight databases were searched until April 10, 2021, for studies on cardiac markers, including B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)/N-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP), troponin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), in MIS-C patients. RESULTS: Of the 2583 participants enrolled in 24 studies, 1613 patients were diagnosed with MIS-C. MIS-C patients exhibited higher BNP levels than patients with non-severe COVID-19 [SMD (95% CI): 1.13 (0.48, 1.77), p < 0.05]. No significant differences in BNP levels were observed between patients with MIS-C and severe COVID-19 [SMD (95% CI): 0.29 (−0.07, 0.65), p = 0.117]. Comparisons of MIS-C patients to all COVID-19 patients revealed no significant differences in levels of troponin [SMD (95% CI): 0.13 (−0.07, 0.32), p = 0.212] or AST [SMD (95% CI): 0.10 (−0.11, 0.31), p = 0.336]. Compared to patients with non-severe MIS-C, those with severe MIS-C exhibited higher levels of BNP [SMD (95% CI): 0.26 (0.04, 0.48), p < 0.05], but no differences in troponin [SMD (95% CI): 0.05 (−0.06, 0.16) p = 0.387] or AST [SMD (95% CI): 0.19 (−0.34, 0.71), p = 0.483] were observed. Moreover, there was no significant difference in BNP [SMD (95% CI): −0.21 (−1.07, 0.64), p = 0.624] or troponin [SMD (95% CI): −0.07 (−0.45, 0.31), p = 0.710] between MIS-C with and without coronary artery abnormality. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess stability. No publication bias was detected based on Begg's test. CONCLUSIONS: The key cardiac marker that showed differences between patients with MIS-C/non-severe COVID-19 and between patients with severe/non-severe MIS-C was BNP. Other markers, such as troponin and AST, did not exhibit notable differences in indicating cardiac injury between patients with MIS-C and COVID-19.