Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor levels are predictive of COVID-19 severity in Afro-Caribbean patients

Aim: To investigate association between soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) plasma levels at admission and incidence of complications in COVID-19 patients. Patients & methods: We considered Afro-Caribbean patients (n = 64) admitted to the hospital between 1 February 2020 and 28 February 2021. Primary outcome was time from the hospital admission until intensive care unit care or death. Results: Primary outcome (hazard ratio, HR [95%CI]) was associated with higher CT scan severity score (3.18 [1.15–8.78], p = 0.025), National Early Warning Score (NEWS2; 1.43 [1.02–2.02], p = 0.041) and suPAR (1.28 [1.06–2.06], p = 0.041). Kaplan–Meier analysis indicated patients with suPAR level above 8.95 ng/ml had a worse outcome (7.95 [3.33–18.97], p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our study suggests that COVID-19 patients with increased baseline suPAR levels are at a high risk of complications.