Evaluation of Serum Ischemia Modified Albumin in Patients With COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Case-Control Study

Introduction: Various biomarkers are used when evaluating the hospitalization needs of patients diagnosed with Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) is a biomarker that causes blood levels to increase as a result of hypoxia and acidosis. We think that an increase in IMA in the blood may be caused by hypoxia stemming from lung damage. This study aimed to compare the mean/median of the blood IMA value in patients with pneumonia due to COVID-19 infection with a control group. Methods: The case group included patients with COVID-19 pneumonia detected by lung imaging and a positive COVID test. Demographic information of the case group, the severity of pneumonia, and their PCR test results were recorded in the data set. Findings: A total of 150 people, 90 of whom were in the case group and 60 of whom were in the control group, participated in the study. No statistically significant differences were found between the blood IMA levels of the case group and the control group. When the blood IMA levels of the case group were compared according to pneumonia severity, no statistically significant differences were found between the mild-moderate and severe pneumonia groups. Conclusion: Blood IMA levels are not a diagnostic biomarker for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and are not helpful in predicting the severity of pneumonia.